The Perfect Love Affair
by edana.azu
Summary: Akihito broke up with Asami, thinking the relationship he had with Asami was not normal. He started a new life and everything went so smoothly. Until one day, he met Asami again and the man gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. Now, he had the hot sexy crime lord as well as the normal relationship he always wanted. So why didn't he feel happy? Chars: Asami x Aki, Aki x OC
1. Chapter 1 Everything Has a Beginning

**Part 1. Lonely Are The Nights When The Storm Is Coming**

Kou said today that he could feel the storm is coming. And I didn't believe him. I mean, Kou also told us since we were five that one-day, he would find the love of his life. And so far, there is no sign whatsoever that that prophecy will be fulfilled anytime in the future. Not with how picky he is with girls. So, considering how his first divination hasn't been proven yet, why should I trust his latest one?

But apparently he might really have the ability to predict the future. Or he just watched the weather forecast before he met us. Either way, I watch silently as the heavy sheets of water pour down from the sky. The drops make thousands of streams on my apartment window. The wind beats down the trees lining the street five floors below me. The road is almost empty. No more crowds rushing home to enjoy a warm night with family or people going excitedly to the hottest club in town. The storm is indeed coming.

My phone rings from the coffee table in front of the TV. I sigh quietly before moving slowly to answer the call. I can guess who calls even before I see the caller ID.

"Akihito, are you home?" I hear a familiar voice that I miss so much.

"I am, Arata. Where are you? You said you would come home by 9. I've been waiting for hours since then. Dinner is cold already, " I reply while staring blankly at all the delicious dishes that I cooked for hours earlier today; a special treat for our anniversary dinner. From the withdrawn tone Arata talks, I dare to bet my entire salary for the next 6 months that he is still at his office. He will never ever talk in an intimate way to me near his colleagues. That is just the way he is.

"I am very, very sorry, Aki. Something came up at work and my supervisor said that they need me to finish this first. I know that tonight is, " he lowers his voice into a strained whisper, "special for us both. You know how important tonight is to me. But-"

"-you work hard for our future. I get it." I cut him with the infamous sentence that is already ingrained into my flesh and blood by now.

He continues in a rush, "Thank you for being so understanding, Aki. With this storm, there is just no way I can get home by tonight. I am very sorry, but I know you will understand. I will come home tomorrow, okay?"

No, it is not okay. I miss him. I simply can't see anymore how him working more than 120 hours a week is related to our future. It is not like we are lack of money, especially since my work has gone smoothly recently. And tonight is our 2nd anniversary, for God's sake! Why can't he just come home earlier before the storm even came? Heck, isn't it possible for his boss to let him go just for tonight? Can't the company survive without my boyfriend for a few fucking hours? How could he even think that I will be okay?

"Okay," my mouth says automatically, "I love you."

He doesn't say anything for a while. Then, I hear his quick footsteps. Finding an even more quite place, I guess. A few seconds later, in a barely audible whisper that I almost miss it, he replies, "Me, too. I miss you. And I am really, truly sorry. I will make it up for you later, promise."

And this is why I always forgive him in our 2 years relationship. No matter what, I know that he tries hard for our life together. And though he is far from perfect, he always tries to become what I want him to be. Or at least, what he thinks I want him to be. If he can make the choice, I am sure that he will go straight to our home and celebrate our anniversary as promised. So, it is not fair for me to blame him every time he can't be what I want him to be, isn't it?

So, I answered, "I know. I miss you, too. Take care, okay?"

We end the phone call quickly after. I put the phone on the side table and sink into the sofa wondering whether I make the right decision. Maybe I should just shout at him. But I just don't have the will. I am really getting soft with my age.

Slowly, I turn on the TV without any intention to watch it. I just can't stand the silence in our apartment tonight. Rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand, my mind wanders back into the time when I met Arata for the first time.

* * *

><p>It was after one of my assignment with Mitarai, less than 6 months since my last 'incident'. Mitarai and I just spent three nights in a row waiting inside a rubbish he called 'car' to get a photo of a dirty politician. I hadn't got any proper rest for the last two weeks by that time. But I didn't really care. I just wanted to do anything that could distract my mind from those golden eyes that haunted me days and nights.<p>

When we finally got the proof of this politician's affair with a teenage girl in front of a five stars hotel, I could see that Mitarai were more than ready to kick me out of his car so he could go home and have a break, at least until our report to the chief editor the next day. But I just couldn't go back to the small empty dark place that now I called home. I knew I would just break down again and I didn't think I even had any more tears left.

So I simply walked down the street and finally settled down in a 24 hours coffee shop. You know, the kind of coffee shop that sells overpriced coffee. I didn't usually come to this kind of shop for the sake of my bank account. But, tonight, I just didn't care.

I knew. It was weird to go into a coffee shop when you wanted to forget the tragedy of your life. A bar and a few shots of hard liquor would do a much better job. But how could I rationalize my action after my last 'incident' in Russia? Hell, how could any sane people rationalize anything after various 'incidents' (yes, it is plural with 's') that involve kidnapping, torture, rape, and abuse that they have to endure simply because they fell in love with a richer-and-more-powerful-than-prime-minister-crime-lord? So, after Hong Kong, China, Thailand, and then Russia (oh, and also the heartbreaking incident of saying good bye to said crime lord after Russia, don't forget that!), you couldn't really blame me if I did irrational things.

Heaven knew why a coffee shop could be crowded that late at night. But the only empty seat was right in front of a man working on his laptop. Having no other choice, I asked whether the seat was occupied. He absentmindedly shook his head and waved his hand in the random direction of the chair.

I took that as a "yes, go ahead". So, I sat and, without anything else to do, quietly observed the man in front of me as I slowly sip at my overpriced coffee. He had dark brown hair and long eye lashes. He was taller than me with a lean body, not overweight but also not muscular. His plain white shirt and black suit was a bit dull, the type that was wore by hundreds other employees in Tokyo. When I realized he had dimple on his left cheek, unconsciously I started to think the best camera angle to take his picture. I admit he looked quite good. Not good in a hot way, but more in a sweet way.

Ten minutes later, he took his cup and brought it to his lips just to found it empty. I knew it was rude, but somehow I couldn't help chuckling seeing his behavior. Instead of getting mad, though, he joined my laughter and we just started talking and joking to each other after that. He introduced himself as Arata Takagi. That night was the first time I laughed so freely after I left Asami's penthouse.

Two weeks after our first meeting, he said that he wanted to explore our feelings together. We started going out then. Four months later, I met his family, his parents and older sister, who accepted me with a very warm welcome. A month after that he met my parents who love him instantly. It was right after that meeting that we decided to move in together. Everything just went so smoothly for us. I felt like it was a, I don't know, a sign, maybe; a sign that we were meant for each other even fate decided to clear our way from any obstacles and kidnapper and torturer and rapist and, umm, basically any bad things. But you get what I mean, right? Everything went so smoothly that I just knew it must be the right thing to do. The rest is history.

Arata is not really a passionate or romantic person. He is more, well, a tender person. He always treats me with respect and so much gentleness that I have never known before. Never before I feel so...treasured. And this new experience makes me feel giddy.

When he said he wanted a family with children, I can imagine me and him and our children spending family time together in our cozy apartment. Not as big as someone's penthouse, of course, but it will be a warm place where our little family can always go back to after a day fighting the big bad world.

Lately I can't help but think, while Arata is more like a firefly, soft, calm and soothing, Asami is like fireworks, full of explosion, colors, and surprises. If Arata is a steady mountain that will always be there, Asami is a thunderstorm that comes and goes without permission. If Arata is the sweet taste of vanilla, Asami's taste is more like...

Wait. Did I just compare the two of them? And what on earth does Asami's taste like? Why do I even think about how he taste in the first place? And why now after all this time?

I shook my head hastily and cover my face with both my palms. It must be because of this gloomy storm. It just makes me feel more and more lonely. I decided I had enough of this self-pity. I switch the TV channel and try to distract my mind with the news of a high-class party in some high-class socialite's mansion. It seems that the cameraman shots the scene from the balcony above to the dancing floor below. The anchorwoman keeps commenting about all the important people that appear in the party and their partners and their scandals and so on and so on. But my eyes were already glued to a damn sexy man on the first floor who stood in full confident while he glanced up towards the camera; as if he knows I am watching him through my TV screen at that very moment. Just like the first time I saw him through my viewfinder. Not that it is possible. This is not even a live show. And I just choose the channel randomly.

But I guess, there is just no way you can ever be sure which ones are possible and which ones are not when it involve Ryuchi Asami.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. Something Old, Something New, and Something Normal<strong>

_Slowly, I opened my eyes. Oh, no, no, wrong decision! Close it again! It's too bright. I enjoyed the complete darkness that engulfed me while I built the courage to open my eyes again. Even slower this time. Ahh, that was much better._

_The roof that I looked at was familiar. Our bedroom. In our home. I was home. I didn't really remember why, but somehow an overwhelming relief flooded me. Tears were threatening to fall from the edges of my eyes and I blinked rapidly to push them back. It didn't work. Trying to lift my hand to brush the stubborn drops away from my cheeks, I growled with the pain that shot from my lower back all the way to the shoulders. What the hell? That bastard Asami must had fucked me senseless six ways to Sunday._

_I tried to move and listed the damage the bastard had done. Strange, my body felt pain in a bad way, not in a oh-i-just-get-laid way. And I couldn't remember anything that bastard did as well. Oh, talking about the bastard, where was he? Why wasn't he here waking me up with all his dirty tricks? _

_Note to self: check his body temperature, he must be sick that he skipped his dose of morning sex. _

_I dragged my body to a half sitting position and noticed the bandages around my shoulder. And in my forehead. And all the bruises in my chest and stomach and..._

_...and it all came back to me._

_Russia. Mikhail. Yuri. Human trafficking. Rapes. Auction. Blond slave girls and blue eyes boys. A lot of shouting. Gun. Fire. Asami._

_Oh my God, Asami! Where was he? Was he okay? Wait, I was here, so he should be okay, right? But what if he didn't make it? What if...?_

_I turned around abruptly and immediately regretted moving so fast. Dizziness and nausea caught me unprepared. Okay, maybe I shouldn't move that fast no matter how worried I was. Not one of my brightest idea, obviously._

_Ah, there he was. I released my breath that I unconsciously held. Sitting on the chair, head falling to the front, arms crossing in front of his chest, deeply sleeping. He must be very tired that he didn't notice that I was awake. He was usually a very light sleeper. One sudden movement was enough to wake him with a gun ready in hand. Habit dies hard, he explained to me calmly after one incident involving a box of cotton buds and strawberry jam. _(Don't ask!)

_But now, here he was. Falling deeply asleep like a newborn baby. His shirt wasn't buttoned and hanged open in the front showing off his delicious muscular torso. It was really tempting to lick those sexy nubs on his chest. Hmm, grinning, I started to wonder whether he pretended to sleep on purpose. _

_Oh, he must be really tired to be caught in such a defenseless state. I couldn't keep my face from smiling seeing his head keep falling around. Slowly I crawled towards him. Looking at him like this, he almost looked...human _(Well, he IS human, but you know, sometimes he looks more like God than a mere mortal)_. A man who was simply worried about his lover _(me!)_ that he needed to stay at my side though he was..._

_...hurt?_

_It was then that I realized the bandages covering most of his chest and all his left shoulder. He must have covered me from the fire while holding me with his right arm. Another bandage were just above his left eye. I could see some of his beautiful silky hair was a bit burnt just around that particular bandage. And there were fresh scrape of wound along his strong neck. How many other injury was hidden under his clothes? Or, worse, under his mask of calmness? And all of that is because of what? A twenty-five years old brat who couldn't stay still or follow his simplest instructions? _

_But, in my defense, what could I do? I had a job, a career. I couldn't just stay still every time he asked me to. Especially, without any explanation. How should I know he had business problem with the Russian if he didn't tell me? Couldn't he trust that I was mature enough to share his burden? What did he take me for? A high-class lady who needed protection from the harsh reality of life? A woman who just gave up her career once she got a rich husband to be a stay at home mom? A wife who obeyed whatever her husband said? Damn, even 21st century woman didn't really do all that anymore. In which era did he live?_

_But I know he did it out of love. He isn't the man who showed it with words, but his actions screamed all his feelings for me. Even I was not that stupid to ignore all the signs. My tears now were just uncontrollable. My body shook so hard as the reality hit me. I couldn't stop it. How could I when the truth was so harshly presented in front of me, in the form of the man I loved so damn much? _

_It didn't matter how much we love each other. Our life, Ryuchi's and mine, were not compatible. Our worlds would never match. Our jobs may kill the other. It would be either I died because of him or he died trying to save me. Let me be damned into the seventh hell if I ever let him die because of me. And even if it were me who died in the hands of his enemies, what would be left of him? I might as well deliver him in a silver plate to his rivals should he been blinded by revenge. Today, I found it the hard way that love alone was not enough to preserve a relationship._

_It hurt but I needed to admit it. Even when we loved each other, we were just not meant for each other. Period._

_There were no happy ending for us. Neither live-happily-ever-after. The clock had struck twelve times a long time a go. The spell had broken and the story has ended. There was no fairy godmother that would come to help us finding each other. But we both chose to be ignorant and pretended that nothing has ended._

_So, I cried. I howled. The thought was too painful. The memory was too saddening. The future without him was too scary. Everything was just too much._

_He woke up in panic. He asked me which parts of my body were in pain. He held me tight and tried to sooth me. He screamed for the doctor to come. He backhanded Kirishima when the man couldn't make the doctor come any sooner. And when finally the doctor came, he threatened to beat the poor doctor bloody if he couldn't reduce my pain. He vowed to find Yuri and swore all horrible kind of torture ever existed in the human history for every pain Yuri inflicted on me. He did everything he can. But he just didn't understand._

_So finally, when I could somehow control a shred of my emotion, with overflowing tears on my cheeks and extreme pain in my heart, I told him._

_'It is over, Asami. I've had enough. I just want something normal. Let me go. Please.'_

* * *

><p>"I am not sure I have something appropriate for this kind of event, Arata, " I complain from where I bury my head deep inside my closet. A huge pile of clothes already starts to form behind my back. "Why do I need to come to this socialite party of yours anyway?"<p>

Arata pops his head from the bathroom. "Oh come on, Aki. Just wear the suit you wear when you received the photography award last year."

I scowl. "I ruined the suit more than half a year a go, remember?" Finally, I grab a hopefully decent suit that I wore to a friend's wedding a few weeks a go. "And I don't need a suit for my job, anyway. But, you haven't answer my question. Why do I need to accompany you?"

Almost naked saved for my brief, I drag my chosen suit and lean into the bathroom door, looking at my nervous lover preparing for tonight's party. He glances at me through the mirror and raises his eyebrow at my provocative pose but simply answer, "I promised that I will make up for our ruined anniversary dinner last week. And both of us have been so busy this week, so I thought we could enjoy ourselves tonight."

His reserved reaction to my body is a bit disappointing actually. But I guess he is just way too nervous about this incoming event. Apparently the host is the head of a large and powerful group, a very prospective client. As one of their best business consultant, Arata has been chosen to be his company's representative to handle every projects related to said group. It is a huge opportunity for him. And the whole affair just shouts _'Promotion!'_ to all his colleagues. His success with this project is the seal needed for his promising consulting career and our future plan together.

"This party is limited for high class society only, Aki. We are lucky that we get the invitations because I handle their projects. There will be a lot of famous people, businessmen, celebrities, politicians, and people from a much different world from ours. It is something that we can't enter before and I want to share this opportunity with you. Because you are that important to me."

I keep quite while he is busy working on his tie. What can I say? _'Hey, no problem, love, I have never been interested in any high-class party and trust me, I have been to several of them with my ex crime lord lover. They are all just boring.'_? Arata doesn't even know about my history with Asami.

Not that I want to hide it from him, mind you. But, somehow I feel that it is just way too private to share with anyone. My secret affair with Asami that no one else outside Asami's trusted subordinates knows is too complex for anyone to understand. And I don't want to waste the memory shared with Asami just to make someone understand the intricacy of our relationship. Not even Kou, Takato, my parents, or Arata.

Hugging him from behind, I sigh, "Fine, if that is what you want, we will go to this whatever party so you can impress whoever important person there for the sake of whichever project you have worked so hard for."

Smiling, he looks back at me through his shoulder. "You will like it. Trust me."

What I will like is for us to just crawl back to bed and spend hours having sex and then cuddling each other into sleep. But I just give his cheek a peck kiss. Sometimes, Arata and I just have a completely different idea about what the other will like. But compromise is a part of being normal couple, isn't it?

* * *

><p><strong>Part 3. An Hour Is All I Need to Fall For You<strong>

I freeze. My heart freezes. The time freezes. Everyone around me freezes. Even the boring conversations quite down and freeze with me. I swear it really happens.

Arata walks a few feet in front of me. He never holds my hands or shoulder in public. But he notices that I have stopped and he looks back at me. The frown on his face sends his message clearly to me: _'Don't you dare to be rude and ruin this one chance I had. Act like you are part of them, with manner and class.'_

But can he blame me if my feet just stop moving as he lead me to the one man on earth I don't want to see, moreover talk to, ever again? And if said man is shock with my appearance in his damn party or smug that I come as he planned (if this is all really his damn selfish plan!), he doesn't show anything in his face. He just stands there in the middle of the room with a blank face and a beautiful brown haired lady in his arm. His eyes locked with mine for a few seconds longer than necessary before he turn into his lovely companion and said something that I can't hear into her ear. Something bugs me about that lady, but I am not sure what. Not jealousy, I assure you. And no, this is not denial.

Three damn years I have been away from him, and he hasn't changed at all. His silky black hair. His expensive suit and shoes. His broad shoulder and muscular chest. His strong arms and long legs. His sexy jaw and neckline. His tempting full lips. I swear I can even smell his cologne and a hint of his favorites cigarettes when I take a deep breath to calm myself. Though it is kinda impossible considering the distance between us. All about him is still sexy as fuck.

"Aki, come on. We need to greet Asami-sama first." Arata whispers harshly in front of me.

Absentmindedly, I just follow him. When a waiter passes nearby with a tray full of cocktails, I just grab a glass and drink several gulps nervously. I hear Arata makes the greeting and introduction but everything just feel so unreal to me.

"Asami-sama, thank you for inviting me. It is an honor for me to be here. Please meet my friend, Takaba Akihito."

He pushes my upper body low so I am strained to bow in front of Asami. By that time, I quietly decide that Arata and I really need to have a long deep conversation on how we should treat the other in public. But for now, I understand how important this is for him. So, I grit my teeth and force myself to say, "Asami-sama, it is nice to meet you."

When I look up through my lashes, I see that Asami just stares at me. He doesn't scowl nor he smiles. He waves his free hand lightly and I stand up. Looking at anywhere but him, I just sip my drink again to reduce my nervousness. Then, slowly, his signature smirk comes up.

"Takaba-sensei, I have heard so much about you. Your achievement in photography world is really impressive. I heard about your awards from Photography Society last year. The photo that wins the award is simply breath taking." His baritone voice seems to charm everyone's, but I already choke myself with the drink I had sometime after the word 'sensei' is out of Asami's mouth.

I cough so hard and I can feel Arata's glare on my back. If look can kill, I will be dead by now. From my point of view coughing, I can see Arata's hand shaking a bit, a definite sign of his embarrassment.

"I'm -" I cough, "-sorry," More coughs from me, "Asami-sama."

But Asami just smiles politely and pats my shoulder once, "Oh, no, no, I am sorry. I don't mean to embarrass you. Sensei is very humble and my words must have made you awkward. But every word I said is a pure compliment, as you deserve, Sensei."

I can feel Arata's relief beside me. But my attention right now is directed to the golden eyes man in front of me. I look back at Asami in suspicion. His face doesn't look like he mocks me. Nor does he look at me with proud; the same way he did years back every time he talked about my achievement. It is a sincere word, but only for a stranger. For someone he just met. Not a friend, and definitely not a lover. And somehow, for a reason unknown to even me myself, I feel a forgotten pain from a long time a go stabbing my heart. Again.

* * *

><p>I don't really pay attention to the rest of the event. I think Arata walks around to greet all the important persons that he knows and being introduced to some more important persons. Me? I just want to get out of there as soon as possible. So the first chance I get, I go outside to get some fresh air to clear my head until Arata decides we can go home.<p>

I find a seat in the garden, hidden away from the crowd inside. I sit and start to remove my suit. The weather is quite warm.

"His friend, huh?" His voice behind me makes me jump instantly.

I turn around and there he is. As sexy as ever, the incarnate of the Sex God himself, I am sure. No way a mere mortal can still look deliciously sexy after all that years.

I growl low, "That is none of your business."

He just looks at me with eyes full of lust while we stand facing each other. Leisurely, he moves closer, and I don't even dare to breathe, afraid that whatever reasoning ability I still have left will be gone once I smell his scent. When he suddenly traces my cheek with the back of his hand, just the tip of his knuckles touches my skin; I can't stop my body from trembling. Asami puts his other hand on my hips. His thumb makes a slow circle on me and works its way down. I can feel the heat in my face and somewhere inside my brain, my remaining consciousness screams '_Danger!_" at me.

"You still blush easily, " he murmurs near my ears. His voice sounds husky and it melts almost all of my remaining brain cells.

"Asami, sto-"

Whatever I am going to say is cut when he grabs my head crudely and presses his lips to mine. His warm breathes tickling my flesh and I can feel my arousal starts pooling in my groin. I struggle to get out of his arms. I try to hit and kick him but damn the man is still as strong as ever. He holds me still and roughly sucks my bottom lip, hands groping me everywhere. I can't even stop the moan that escapes my throats. He chuckles softly at the sounds that I create before he thrusts his tongue deep into my throat. He is not gentle at all. Hell, Asami doesn't do gentle. But it seems my body miss his brutal way. In fact, it seems it craves for it. The rougher his treatments are, the harder my dick becomes.

This is madness. But I can feel my will to fight fades away and I start to lean towards him. I want to kiss him back. I want to touch his body. I want to do whatever is possible to satisfy the hunger I have long ignored.

He corners me into a tree, completely away from anyone who may want to take a look at the beautiful garden. His thigh spreads my legs apart and I gladly circle my arms around his neck, resting my back on the tree and putting most of my weight on him. When his lips finally leave mine, I whine. He clamps my mouth with his left hand to prevent my frantic whimper to attract unwanted attention. His other hand unevenly massages my cock through my pants.

"Listen, Akihito, we need to make this quick and quite. For now. Okay?" His baritone voice is all that I focus on right now. At this point, though, I simply don't care anymore. He is all I want. The rest of the world can go to hell for all I care. He can ask me to run around the ballroom naked and I may just agree as long as he keeps having his way with me. So I nod abruptly. He smirks arrogantly at my desperation.

Asami quickly moved us around; my hands on the tree, my body bent on my waist, my pants pooled around my ankle, and his hands on my hips in a bruising grip. I recognize this position immediately but I still gasp when he grinds his huge erection into the crease of my ass. I know he doesn't even slip down his own pants, only opening the zipper and putting out his cock. My years of relationship with him taught me exactly what he is doing: he wants to show me who is in control in our relationship, if there is any relationship at all. And that is not me. I can feel heat creeps up into my entire face. Taken outside like an animal, without preparation or anything. What a way to greet each other again after three years apart. Tears start gathering at the edge of my eyes.

Somehow it seems he notices my sudden angst. Keeping one hand on my lower back to keep me in place, he bows low until his chest rests on my back and holds my face so I halfway facing him. He sucks my neck, licks my jaw, and then whispered in my ear, "I am not going to stop. I miss you way too much to stop. And it looks like you miss me too," he brutally grab my hard cock, "Be with me and you can keep your dear 'friend' if you want something normal. "

_Please_. I can hear that magic word at the end of his sentence, as loud and clear as my sobs, though it will never be said. Most people think that the great Asami-sama doesn't ask. He commands. But I know Asami too well. He does ask to certain people who he cares about, even though the request is still hidden in the form of a command. It is the slightly different tone and voice that gives it away, something you won't notice unless you are extremely familiar with the way he talks. If I expect him to ask my approval for anything he is about to do, this is the best I could get. And it is enough to break the last of my defense.

I nod my consent to him. Closing my eyes I murmur, "Mark me yours."

So, he thrusts. And keep thrusting. Hard. I hold anything I can grip in front of me. The pain is almost unbearable. My body feels like it is burning. I can't scream. I hardly even breath. I feel like the last of my voice stuck in my throat and I can't get it out. It reminds me of this ride I went when I was small. I sat inside a ball that was dropped from 50m, reaching over 120kph. I wanted to shout, but I found that I couldn't make any sound.

When my sobs finally get louder, he shuts my mouth with his hand. He bites me wherever he could and even with all the pain, I meet him thrust to thrust. It is not long until his movement becomes fast and uncontrolled. His breaths become heavier. And I know he is close. He grabs my cock in a grip bordering pain and pleasure, and he shots his cum into me.

"Akihito, " he softly whispers my name on my ear. It is what throws me into an orgasm and soon I come chanting his name silently as his hand still clamps my mouth shut.

_Ryuichi. Ryuichi. Ryuichi. Ryuichi._

Thinking back, I am sure I must be crazy. It hurts so much and I still can come. But in the afterglow of my orgasm, the strongest one I had in years, I can't even think about how weird or perverse it is. It is hard enough for me to stand on my own feet. Asami holds me in his arms and let me lean on him. He calls Kirishima who apparently stays on guard nearby with instruction to bring me back to my apartment. Kirishima hands him something; a towel, I guess. Asami uses it to clean me then he puts my clothes back. I want to argue with him, I want to say that I need to look for Arata first, but I don't have any more strength.

Half asleep already, I finally manage to force myself to ask him, "I thought you don't like to share." I need to understand what this means, to me, to Arata. For long moments on the way to his limo, he doesn't answer.

When he finally puts me down on the car's seat with soft kisses on my forehead, almost fully asleep, I think I heard him saying, "And I still don't share. You belong to me and only me. If you want to keep a dog to feel a sense of normalcy, I am sure it can be," he paused, "...arranged. With my permission, of course." I feel more kisses on the top of my head. I don't understand what he means. I want to ask, what dog? I am not even a dog person. But my mind decides that it is time to shut everything down and I embrace the darkness that covers me.

[End of Chapter 1]


	2. Chapter 2 Things You Do For Love

**Part 1. Sacrifice Isn't Something to Regret**

When I wake up, I see Arata in front of our closet, putting clothes into his luggage. My heart breaks. My first thought is that he knows. He knows what I did last night and now he leaves me for betraying him.

"Arata...wait." I try to convince myself that I can still fix this.

He turns around with a smile on his face. Standing up from his pile of clothes, he slowly walks over to me.

Okay, wait. Something doesn't fit my first suspicion here. My next thought is that he already knew everything from the beginning. He lies to me. Asami pays him to be with me. Maybe even to spy and control me. And this thought doesn't make me feeling any better than the previous one. I can feel nausea creeps up from the deep of my stomach.

But he simply sits in front of me and kisses my lips gently. "Good morning, Aki, love," he says while brushing one of my stubborn bangs that covers my eye. I don't need to mention that I am speechless.

"Asami-sama told me that you didn't feel well last night so he arranged that you can leave early," he continues. I keep silent. I don't know what Asami told him and I don't want to ruin everything by blabbing. "We should thank him later. I am sorry I didn't notice it earlier. But he is so kind to help you. It seems he really admires your photos. But it is enough about him. Do you feel better already?" he asks me softly. His hand keeps rubbing my lower back in an effort to sooth me. I don't know what to say. '_Sweet Arata, you don't know how much your great Asami-sama helped me last night.'_?

"Yes," I murmur. "What time is it now? And why do you pack? When do you arrive at home?" I can't keep from shooting my questions.

He chuckles, "Well, I can see that you feel well already. And to answer your question, it is 7 in the morning. I just arrived home at 5AM, I needed to go to office straight away from the party to make all the necessary arrangement before going back home to pack. That is why I really appreciate Asami-sama's help to send you back here," he pauses for a moment before he continues excitedly, "Asami-sama sealed the deal with my company last night. He said he was suddenly convinced that my company and I could improve his business. My boss was so ecstatic when I informed him. I swear he mentioned 'promotion' at least 4 times to me. Now I am leaving to Europe for a few weeks to handle one of Asami-sama's businesses there. I leave a note with my hotel details and phone number that you can contact."

There is so much information to process at once and I don't know where to start. "A few weeks? But we have dinner with your family this Saturday." Great, out of all the questions that are already on the tip of my tongue, I ask the most trivial one.

"I know," he puts more butterfly kisses along my jaw. Remembering how Asami sucks my neck just last night, I abruptly push him away. Arata takes my action as a sign of anger due to his sudden leaving to Europe, though, because he continues, "I know you don't like it when I suddenly need to go for a long time. I don't want to. But I have to do this. Asami-sama's approval last night means we are getting closer to our dream. We just need to endure it a bit longer. I am sure you can handle my family. Sometimes I think they even love you more than me." He laughs vibrantly. I am at loss of words.

I can't believe this. My poor boyfriend doesn't know anything. Asami hides it from him. And that bastard hooks my boyfriend through his company with this stupid business projects. Just like a fish, my boyfriend happily took the bait. I don't know whether I need to feel relieved or mad.

Does the bastard think he can lead me through my naive boyfriend around, ask me to do whatever he wants me to do, like a stupid dog doing any tricks his master commands to get a treat as its reward? Wait. Didn't he said something about a dog? What was it? I shake my head slowly. I can't remember anything after the mind-blowing orgasm last night.

I softly snort when I rewind what Arata told me just now in my mind. Asami said, he was '_suddenly convinced_'? Convinced by what? My moan? My cum? It is clear as the day that this business projects are merely a trap to bind me to him. Asami doesn't '_suddenly convinced_'. All his actions have been calculated long beforehand. It is clearly bullshits. And Arata is way too blinded with success that he believes Asami's blatant lies.

Arata takes a quick look at his watch before he says, "I am very sorry, Aki. But I am late already. I will contact you as soon as possible, okay?" He kisses me quickly on my lips. Then he stands, brushes my hair one last time, and grabs his luggage.

"I love you, Aki."

Staring at him like a complete idiot I am, I absentmindedly answer him, "I love you, too. "

* * *

><p>I explain to the editors who call me that I am sick and need a rest. In fact, I just need to sort my thought. And being alone helps. Kou and Takato call me several times during that period, asking me to go out with them. I told them that I don't feel well. They laughs, teasing me that it is because Arata is away for a few weeks that I feel sick missing him. I laugh with them.<p>

Asami send me a message on the first day. He asks how do I feel. Whether I am okay or not. Whether MY BODY is okay or not. I ignore him. I am so mad at him. But moreover, I am mad at myself for reacting so strongly at his stupid message. It looks like my body doesn't get the memo that the bastard just practically blackmails me into doing whatever he wants. Instead, I can feel my traitorous body starts to get aroused at the first prospect of having another rendezvous with the bastard. How on earth one fucking text message makes my cock half-erect in less than 5 seconds, I totally have no idea. There must be a scientific name for this kind of syndrome, though. Fortunately for me, Asami doesn't send anymore message after that. I don't think my sanity can stand more of his message.

Arata calls me every night. Our conversations always fill me with guilt. I feel really bad to hide the truth from him. I consider the possibility to explain everything through phone. But it just seems rude. This is something we need to discuss face to face. IF I ever decide to talk to him about this. Besides, he sounds so excited with this new project and opportunity, I don't have the heart to break his illusion. So, I decide to wait.

Saturday comes and I go by myself to Arata's family house. I bring his nephews and niece's favorites food. His family is larger than mine; his mother, father, older sister, 2 young nephews and 1 baby niece. His sister's husband left her with debt when she is pregnant with Arata's baby niece. It was around the time he meet me. She works now and his father helps to pay the debt as well, but it is just not enough. The debt is too much. Luckily Arata's income is quite stable for the last few years and he supports his family a lot. His care with his family is one of the reason I love him so much.

His mother welcomes me as she opens the door. Sadness and stress makes her ages faster, and lately she starts getting sick often. I am really worried about her like I will to my own mother. As she hugs me tight, I tease her, "You will choke me to death at this rate, Aiko-san."

With a smile on her face, she replies, "It is 'mother', Aki. I see you as my own son, already. I hope you can see me as your own mother as well."

Her words that usually warm me up, now stab me directly at the most sensitive part of my heart. But I force myself to smile and answer, "Thank you, mother."

All Arata's nephews and nieces run downstairs after that. Once they see me, they jump towards me. Each one asks for my attention. His father waves at me from the living room while his sister is busy at the kitchen. I come to the kitchen with the food that I bring. Mariko kisses me on the cheek before pushing me away to the living room. She can handle the cooking and let the guest of honor enjoys the night, she said.

I know I am lucky. It is not often a family welcomes their son's boyfriend so openly. In fact, I am sure it is quite rare not only in Japan but also in most Asian country. But Arata's family welcomes me with open hands. And for that, I feel so thankful. Sometimes, I think, their horrible experience with his sister's husband helps them to accept our relationship easier.

All the way during the dinner, I can't help but ponder that somehow I have cheated not only to Arata, but also to his family. It makes me feel really bad. But at the same time, I also realized that a small part of me feel relief to meet Asami again. For whatever reason it may be, I feel really alive after all these years. It is so confusing and I am not the type who dwells too much in self-pity, so I decide to put it aside. What will be will be.

On my way out after the dinner, Aiko-san stops me in front of the door.

"Thank you, Aki. We are really grateful for you being Arata's partner. He changes since he met you. I see that he now knows his purpose in life. Before it seems like he was lost, working hard without any meaning. He also cares more with his family. It is all thanks to you. I know it is hard for you that he has so little time left, especially since now he will need to focus on his big projects. But trust me that he does that for your future together. He always wants to make you happy. So, stay with him, okay? Please, Aki, this is my only request."

I choke. I blink my eyes several times to push my tears back. I don't know what to say or what to do. If I talk, I feel like I will break down in front of her and tell her all the hard truth that will just break her heart. And she already has enough in her plate without having to grief on mine. So I just nod.

I don't really remember how I get home. My body just moves automatically since my brain refuses to do its work properly. If I let my brain think, even for a second, it will only think about all the unhappiness. And right now, I don't have the time or the energy to sink deeper in misery.

The first thing I do when I arrive at home is to call Arata. He answers my phone at the third rings.

"What will happen if you give up those projects?" I abruptly ask him without saying hello.

He is silent for a while before his soothing voice answers me softly, "Oh Aki, I am very sorry to leave you alone for a long time. But we both know I can't lose these projects. It is a big opportunity for the company. Ruining this opportunity is a direct ticket to lose my job. And with my family situation, I can't afford to lose my job."

'_No, it is not being alone that I have a problem with!_' I want to scream to him. But then, he will ask for more explanation and what can I say to him? There are too many secrets I don't even know where to start. One secret just lead to another, it is like an infinite loop.

"I can help to support your family. My income from freelancing is doing very well lately," I try to argue.

I can hear him sighs. "Aki, I can't burden you with my family issue. Besides, your freelancing job is not that stable as well. Please, Aki, I never complain about your job before. No matter how far you go or how long you leave. I know that it is your dream, your passion. Could I ask you to do the same for me?"

And I just don't have the answer for that because what he said is simply the truth. Never once he stops me from chasing any picture. Nor he complains when I can't contact him in any way for weeks or even months due to limited phone coverage and Internet connection. He always supports my dreams, always being so understanding about my passion. I decide that the least I could do is to support him now.

It is just 5 minutes after I end my call when I hear my front door bell rings. It is Kirishima. I start to think that Asami has bugged my apartment without me knowing. How else does the bastard know that it is the perfect time to break my last resistance?

"Asami-sama wants your presence, Takaba-sama. Just bring some clothes, for now. You can always get more later. Don't worry; everything has been arranged. I personally will make sure that Takagi-san," his tone when mentioning Arata's name somehow betrays his politeness in addressing Arata "-will have enough things to keep him busy somewhere as long as it is needed. I do hope, however, you don't make this more difficult than it should be."

"Please be honest with me, Kirishima-san, did he plan everything from the beginning?"

Kirishima looks hesitate for a moment, before answering my question carefully, "No, he didn't. You met this Takagi boy by pure coincidence. Neither did Asami-sama influence him in any way. But he does receive a daily report about your life. When you left, your condition was," he sighs, " unsettling. He was deeply worried about you but he understood that you needed a break for a while. When Takagi came, he saw an opportunity. A way to give you what you needed so he let you keep this brat."

I know that he is being totally honest with me. He doesn't even bother to address Arata politely anymore. And for some very twisted reason that I immediately put aside for further thinking later, knowing that Asami still cares for me after all these year does make me flutter inside. I already admit the last time I met him that I am his. But it doesn't mean I have to agree with his sick way of doing things without any concern to those who will get hurt. So I just stand there staring back at Kirishima. A few minutes pass and it seems he finally realize that I won't move anytime soon. He sighs like he got so many more important things to do than explaining such a basic thing to an unreasonable brat.

"I always like you, Takaba-sama. You are," he pauses as if he tries to find the best way to say it, "different from the others. You are honest and you don't seek for wealth or power from Asami-sama. So I will give you this piece of advice. Asami-sama is the king, and the king takes what he wants. You can play along and survive or fight it and lose everything. The choice is yours, but from what I overheard during your last, " he takes a deep breath before continue, "meeting with Asami-sama, I assume that you approve of this arrangement already."

I snicker at his words.

"What?" he asks me with a frown.

I shake my head, "Nah, somehow your words reminds me about this TV series. There is this king who always takes what he wants. He also likes to enjoy his whores with his personal guard just outside the door, you know, able to hear everything. He ends up being murdered by his queen, who apparently has an incest affair with her own twin brother, the King's personal guard. Kinda complicated to explain. You need to watch it yourself. A lot of sacrifices and deaths and betrayals and murders, I am sure you will like it. Do you watch any series, Kirishima-san?" When he, in return, just stares at me with a harden expression since he heard the words 'being murdered', I laugh cynically, "Of course not. Give me a few minutes, will you? Let me change my clothes and pack my things so I can satisfy the king."

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. Ignorance Is Bliss<strong>

Asami's penthouse looks exactly like how it is when I left. As I open the door to my smaller room, I notice that the room stays the same except for my camera case that I brought with me when I moved out and the fresh new bed sheet. Everything is clean, but inside the bin, I can see some crumpled failed photos that I threw there three years back before I went against his strict order to stay at home and ended in Russia. Receipts that I don't even remember anymore are scattered on my desk. My photos with my friends and family are still at the same place on my desk. Even my grocery lists that I stick into the board beside my bed are still intact. It is as if I had never leave in the first place.

It freaks me out a bit, actually. I feel like I am inside some movies about psychotic parents that can't accept their son's death so they keep his room the same way while kidnapping other boys who look similar just to kill them brutally. I chuckle at the thought. This is the normal world, Aki, not some cruel horror movie with cliché story.

I check every room leisurely; leaving Kirishima briefs a man I have never met before in the living room. The guard that is appointed for tonight, I guess. When I come back, Kirishima is alone, waiting patiently for me.

"He doesn't live here, does he?" My tone is flat as I confirm my suspicion since I first step back into this place.

Kirishima just turns at me and stares back blankly as if he doesn't understand human language.

"Oh please. Don't bother to pretend. I had lived with him for years. Do you think I am that stupid I can't see the difference?" When the man just keeps his silence, I roll my eyes and wave my hand around the living room, "The scent of this place is wrong. I can't smell his cologne or cigarettes anywhere. Not even in the main bedroom. And God knows how much he likes to smoke after sex."

Kirishima raises his eyebrow with an expression that I translate as, '_Are you a dog now?_'. But he doesn't say anything, so I continue as I count aloud all the reasons with my fingers, "There is not even a bottle of his favorite shampoo in his bathroom, and I know he will complain endlessly every time it happens. I can't find his ridiculously expensive whiskey in the kitchen. In fact, there is no liquor at all here. It is normal if there is no food, but alcohol? How can the man survive without it? I can list more if you want, but the point is the same. I know he doesn't live here." I cross my arms in front of my chest and stare back at Kirishima defiantly, challenging him to deny my notion.

But Kirishima just shrugs his shoulders and say, "Indeed, he doesn't."

I wait for more, but when nothing comes out from Asami's right hand man, I push further, "So, where does he stay until now? With his other lovers at his other penthouses? "

But Kirishima ignores my question. He turns toward the kitchen as he explains, "You can use whatever you need here, as you must already know. Asami-sama plans to come here tonight. I am sure-"

I grab his arm though I fail to turn him towards me. Damn, what is wrong with these people? How come they become so strong? Kirishima slowly turns to face me. He is taller than me so I look up at him.

"Please, Kirishima. I need to know what will happen to me. Will he stay here with me when I am available and then go back to his other lovers when I am not around? Am I just one of his whore that he bought with my boyfriend's job? Is that how this is going to be?" I know I sound desperate, but I can't help to hide the doubt and skepticism that pool in my stomach since I put my feet back in this place.

Kirishima gently removes my hands from his arms. I can see that he feels uncomfortable with my questions as his body stiffens. His voice seems cold to me when he says, "I am afraid, you need to ask him the details yourself, Takaba-sama. This is not something an outsider like me should be involved in."

His answer makes me sink even deeper into doubt and guilt and a hundred others unpleasant feelings that has became familiar to me in these few days. He must be able to see it in my face though because with a softer tone he clarifies, "He won't do something so complicated and troublesome like what he does for you if it is for a whore, Takaba-sama. As I said, you are different."

And with those words, he leaves me alone.

* * *

><p>I heard Asami opens the front door around 2am in the morning. When he enters the living room, I automatically come to him and held out my hand for him, ready for our standard ritual years a go. He looks at me for a moment before he quietly puts his shoes away and gives his bag into my waiting hand. I place a kiss on his broad back gently while helping him to take off his coat and whisper softly, "Welcome back." He literally freezes for a few long seconds with his back towards me. Then I heard him murmurs, "I am home." Is it a slight hint of sadness that I heard in Asami's voice?<p>

But when he turns around to kiss my forehead, it is his annoying smirk that lit up his face. I snort. I must be an idiot for even thinking to put 'sadness' and 'Asami' in the same sentence. Obediently, I hang his coat in the closet. As I follow him into the main bedroom, I explain, "Kirishima said you have dinner already. So, I didn't make you anything. Besides, you don't have any food here. I will do grocery shopping tomorrow. Is there anything specific you want to eat?"

Looking at me through the mirror, he shakes his head, "Anything will do."

I watch him taking off his cuffs and then slowly unbuttoning his own shirt. My heart rate speeds up when my gaze falls into the image of his solid chest reflected on the mirror. I look away and take a deep breath to calm myself. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. See, Aki, you can do it if you put your mind into it.

My attention snaps back to him when he throws his clothes in the general direction of the dirty laundry basket. And misses it, of course. I guess, some things are meant to never change. Smiling to myself, I gather his clothes that are scattered around the basket, and put everything inside.

When he hugs me from behind after that, I wait for the guilt and anger to fill my whole body like how it was for the past few days. But none comes. Instead, I feel so relaxed and safe inside his strong arms. It just doesn't make any sense. I should feel mad at him. I should feel guilty at Arata. I should hate myself. But I have had enough of unpleasant emotion for days that I welcome the contented feelings that overwhelms me now. My guilt for Arata, my anger with him, my doubt with myself; the more time I spend with Asami, the more all of those unhappy thoughts fade away into the background until none of that matters anymore. So, I lay my head back on his muscular chest and close my eyes to savor the moment.

He lazily licks my right earlobe and I gave a low moan of longing. I can feel his smile on my neck as he rewards my reaction with a hard suck on my neck. He always loves my aroused voice. It is a huge turn on for him when I loudly express my appreciation to his sexual advances.

But when he keeps sucking my jawline and I know it will leave a noticeable mark by tomorrow, I struggle to get out of his arms. He grabs my wrists in a bruising grip and, very roughly, jerks me back to him. His face is only a few inches apart from mine and I can feel his heavy and rapid breath. His cock is hard as steel on my stomach. It looks like my struggle just aroused him more. Not that I am not hard myself.

"Asami, people will see it," Looking at anything but him, I tell him through my gritted teeth.

He seizes my stiff cock and grins at me. "But you like it when I do it rough. You love my marks on you and the pleasurable pain that only I can give you. Stop denying it."

When I refuse to look back at him or say anything else, he yanks my pants and undies down. Bending me over the king-sized bed, he exposes my full ass in the air. My heart beats wildly in anticipation for what he will do to me. Whatever it is, I am sure it will be painful. So when I feel his warm and wet tongue makes its way along the crease of my ass, I gasp from the shock. He licks the outer ring of my back before he thrust his tongue as deep as he can. Shouting his name loudly mixed with various incoherent sounds, I arch my body and spread my legs wider to give him more access. He chuckles at my reaction. But, thanks all the gods, he keeps licking, rimming, thrusting his skillful tongue into me. I may kill him on the spot should he stops.

Pre-cum leaks from my cock. It is so good. In fact, it feels amazingly good I feel I can come from his tongue alone. The overwhelming sensation is just too much to handle. My cock is very hard that it starts to hurt. I shouldn't have any problem with coming. And I want to come. But, apparently, I can't. Frustration brings tears into my eyes and I try to lower my hips so I can have more friction with the bed. But he holds me firmly in place.

"Asami...I...I can't. I can't take it anymore." I start sobbing.

He laughs at my desperation. "I can continue being gentle for hours, Akihito, and trust me, it won't be enough for you to come. Why can't you see by now that the only way you can reach those mind-blowing orgasms is by accepting whatever I give you?"

He continues teasing me very slowly as if he has all the time in the world. God, this is agony. I shriek and squeak but he ignores me. Then I start to fight him back, to get away from him, but he simply grips my hips tighter and holds my wrists with his other hand. Finally, when I realize nothing else will work, I beg him.

"Please, Asami...whatever you want, please, just...just...let me come." By that time, tears already stream down my cheek. I have lost track of time but it feels like forever already since he starts.

He stops. And very carefully he helps me stand. My body shakes so hard, my cock feels so painful, and my feet can't hold my weight on their own. I am relieved that he stops his teasing, believing that the real event will happen soon. He looks at me with amusement in his eyes but doesn't make any other movement to end my misery other than grinding our cocks lazily. The bastard clearly enjoys torturing me. He may already make it his sole purpose of living.

Through a layer of frustration tears, I push back my cock into his, "...Asami, please?"

He tilts his head as if he is considering my offers seriously. Golden eyes never leave mine. Smirk decorates his delicious lips. It must be painful for him as well, holding his own arousal back for so long. But if he hurts, he doesn't show it all. Finally, he shrugs his broad shoulders while grinning at me, which I translate as, _'That is not the action and words that I am waiting for, Akihito'_.

His other hand moves to my ass, finger teasing on my ring muscle. I jerk from his touch but he still holds my wrists tightly that my movement is strained. Slowly, his finger enters me. For a while the finger just slides in and out. It feels incredible I arch my whole body and push back into his finger. When the second finger joins the first one and he starts scissoring, stretching, I can't stop the continuous whimper that escapes my throat. One of his fingers bumps that spot inside me that makes me shout his name loudly. And he keeps pressing and brushing the spot on purpose.

In my desperation, I yell at him, "Ryuchi...please...your cock...hard." It seems my brain just loses its ability to form a full sentence. All the sensation mixes together and destroys every control I have. I don't even sure what I am trying to say.

His laugh is maddening. But finally, thanks to all deity out there, he sits on the edge of the bed and moves me to straddle him. When he tries to position me on top of his cock, I push his hand away. He freezes. But I quickly spread my ass cheeks with one hand while holding onto him with the other. I lock my eyes with his and kiss him hard. I suck his tongue and bite his lower lips. Smirking, he raises his eyebrow at my eagerness.

When I push down into his cock, the sensation of his thick cock filling me is the only thing I can focus on. He groans. Asami is not an expressive lover in bed. So hearing his rare aroused voice always makes me feel so powerful. I can feel my ass twitches around his cock; he immediately slams his hips hard into me and starts thrusting. Deeper. Harder. Faster. Until we both move in one harmonious rhythm that cause a thrill along my spine. I kiss his lips, lick his erected nipples, grind my hard cock into his stomach, and touch him wherever my hands can reach. He thrust so hard I can see stars at the back on my eyes and he grunts louder than ever. Somehow, I feel proud knowing that it is me who makes him lose his icy control.

Until my phone rings in full volume from the living room. It takes time for me to register that it is my ring tone. And when I finally do, I halt my movement. Or at least, I try to. Not caring about the distraction at all, Asami continues thrusting into me. But I push him as hard as I can and shout at him.

"Asami, stop! It may be emergency! Someone got an accident or something. It could be Takato...or Kou...or...or my parents." People that I know don't usually calls early morning unless it is important. The idea of my parents lying on hospital bed makes something inside my stomach churns violently.

Fortunately, Asami stops when I mentioned my parents. My cock already loses half of its will to stay erect when I pull myself away from him and run into the living room naked. My heart beats so fast for a completely different reason now compared to a few minutes a go.

It is a call from an unknown number and I feel unease. Who is it? What is so important that they call this late (or this early, depending on how you look at it, of course)?

I look up at Asami who stands naked leaning on our bedroom doorframe. He crosses his arms in front of his chest while waiting for me to answer the phone. So, I press the 'Answer' button.

"Hello?"

"Aki, love? Are you still awake? You sound breathless," a familiar voice washes the last of my arousal away.

I lock my eyes with Asami's before answering softly, "Arata..."

* * *

><p>Kirishima waits patiently for Asami-sama in front of the limo door. The guard who stays outside the penthouse says that the boss already went downstairs 5 minutes a go. So he should be here anytime soon.<p>

He is expecting his boss to come with a good mood after spending the night with his lover. So he is really surprised to notice that the boss is in a total bad mood, proven by how Asami-sama snaps at the driver for a very trivial mistake. The poor man still trembles when he goes into the driver seat with the thought of how close he is to death.

Kirishima curses silently. What did the boy do now? Doesn't he know that it is the outside world that pays the price for any trouble he creates? But being the loyal secretary that he is, he keeps his mouth shuts. If Asami-sama wants to discuss it with him, he will do that in his own pace.

They quickly run through Asami-sama's schedule for the day. It will be a hard day full of meetings, negotiations, threats, and appointments. But he already leaves Asami-sama's schedule clears after 9pm today. It takes heaven and hell to move around the schedule, but he finally managed to do it late last night. His boss has mentioned yesterday that he wishes to come home early when his boy is here.

Once he finishes reading his boss' entire schedule, he passes him some documents that need quick approval. His boss, not one that allows emotion being mixed with business (or his real business, to be exact), reads each document carefully despite his black mood. It is halfway through the pile of documents that he heard Asami-sama's order.

"From now on, make sure to give that damn dog more tasks than what he can handle. Make mundane tasks if you have too. Buy some bankrupt company for him to fix or something. Tell him to count the stars for all I care. I want him to be too fucking busy to even go peeing, moreover to make a phone call. Push the dog's stupid company so they will work him into the bone. Tell them I will cancel the deal if he can't perform as expected."

Ah, so that is the problem. Kirishima feels disappointed with himself for failing to anticipate this issue before it appears.

"Please consider it's done, Asami-sama. I am terribly sorry for overlooking this problem. I will take extra care from now on," he bows his head as a form of apology. His boss just nods slightly without moving his attention from the documents in his hand.

He takes note for himself not to push the dog too hard though, no matter what his boss said. It may give the opposite effect. He considers blocking any call from the dog, but once that damn dog comes home, he must ask the boy what is wrong with his phone. It is just too suspicious if it happens often. Maybe he can also set up some freelance projects in a place without phone coverage for Takaba-sama every now and then. It will give his workaholic boss some time to rest, too. He also remembers hearing about service that helps people to create excuses and alibi for the client while they cheats with their lover. He puts it in his note to call the company right away. There is nothing that can't be bought by money nowadays. Especially with the amount of money like Asami-sama has. The man can literally buy the whole Japan just for fun. Not that he needs to do that; the country is practically under Asami-sama's control already.

He doesn't want to shove that dog to the wrong direction, though. It will do no one any good should the dog decide to have an affair of his own or to break up with Takaba-sama. He frowns. If that happens, he could always put his Glock on that stupid dog's forehead and asks him nicely to become Takaba-sama's pretend boyfriend. But of course, Takaba-sama will not be happy if he finds out. And usually, what makes Takaba-sama unhappy will make his boss unhappy as well. Unless it involves sex, he guesses.

Inaudibly, Kirishima sighs. What did the boy call himself last night? Asami-sama's whore? He shakes his head a bit so not to attract his boss attention to his thought. That boy really doesn't understand his own value, does he? Whores are those slave-boys worked in underground S&M clubs that Asami-sama beat half dead every now and then since Takaba-sama left. Whores are the light brown hair girls and boys with hazelnut eyes (or hazelnut soft lenses, in fact) who are being paid to act, live, and have sex like Takaba-sama. Right now, there are two of them, one boy and one girl who each live in two of Asami-sama luxurious condos, accommodated with every luxury those two will never seen in their pitiful life should Kirishima never encountered them and saw their eerie similarities with Takaba-sama. These whores don't even know who it is they try to imitate. The only thing they know is that Asami-sama has a very specific preference when it comes to bed partner.

There were more of these kept whores before. But sooner or later, these last two will also make a mistake that their predecessor did by doing something that is totally unlike the real Takaba; from something as trivial as calling him with endearment nicknames to being too willing during sex. Then Asami will order their death. In another case, Asami-sama's enemies will kidnap them thinking it is his famous-but-always-hidden-lover and Asami-sama will easily let these Takaba-sama's doubles go, laughing cynically when the kidnapper tries to negotiate. His boss even gives away a few of these replicas to his rivals as they calmly discussing their shady dealing while watching the poor light brown hair being raped for everyone's entertainment. Over the time, his enemies, rivals, and unaware allies start to wonder whether the secretive light brown hair lover is truly exists or if he does exist, whether he is even still alive. Only few trusted allies know for sure, like Fei Long and...well, in fact, only Fei Long knows now since Asami-sama decided to eliminate Mikhail together with Yuri. But his taste in light brown hair young men and women becomes so well known that he often finds himself being entertained with that specific types by his business partner lately. Some daughters from powerful politician and famous celebrities even dye their hair in light brown in desperate effort to attract his attention.

Either way, Kirishima also put it in his notes that he will need to find another person to replace these replicas soon. It is easy to find someone who is willing to do that with all the compensation he/she will receive: huge amount of money each month, luxurious condo, cars, clothes, prestige, and a lot of sex with the sexy crime lord. There are a lot of people who will be blinded easily with that kind of incentive and Kirishima found during his early period of collecting light brown hair pretties from all over the countries that he could just snap his fingers and another willing body with light brown hair will enthusiastically replace the old one to serve Asami-sama. The harder part is to teach each of them how to act, to dress, to talk, and even to have sex like the real one. He closes his eyes as headache starts to form. It may be much easier and cheaper if they can just clone his boss' lover. But cloning doesn't guarantee that they will have the same personality, does it?

Of course, that boy will always be ignorant of what happen around him. Even now, he must be deeply asleep in Asami-sama's soft bed and warm blankets; unaware of the suffering he brings to people due to his careless actions. Not that Kirishima gives any fuck to the suffering of other people. Other people basically are just another property for him, like any other objects in this world, can easily be bought and sold for money. There are few people that he cares about and only one person he respects and serves through heaven and hell, Asami-sama. The boy is one of the few people he cares about but his full loyalty is and always will be for Asami-sama. He is willing to give even his life for Asami-sama anytime and anywhere. And for the sake of Asami-sama, he agrees that the boy better stays innocent from the cruelty of Asami-sama's world.


	3. Chapter 3 What You Don't Know Won't Hurt

**Hi, I want to say thank you to everyone who spent time to read the story, moreover to review, follow, like, and messages me. When my friend told me to publish this fanfic here, I didn't expect anyone to like the story. Actually, I literally planned to keep it hidden in my laptop forever. Haha. I really appreciate every input/feedback/comment. Feel free to let me know whatever you likes/hates about the story. I will also fix the problem some people mentioned in their review (including Asami's name in previous chapter). Thank you!**

**PS. I should have released this chapter a few days a go. But unfortunately, I was sick. So, I released this chapter together with the next one. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VF and all its characters. I don't know much about Japan politics and government and everything I wrote is just fiction.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3. What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You<strong>

_"Of course, Watanabe-san. Yeah. I don't have problem with the offered fee at all. I just want to think about it first. You know I haven't got any experience taking this kind of photo. I don't want to let you or Fujimoto-sama down. No. No. Of course. I will let you know my decision by tomorrow. I hope Fujimoto-sama will understand."_

_I rolled my eyes at Arata with a teasing smile on my face, making various mocking gestures that more or less meant, 'He keep talking, I don't even listen to what he says anymore' as I listened to Watanabe's non-stop chattering. He grinned back at me and winked his eye as he prepared the salad for our dinner. Thankfully, Watanabe finally realized that I wouldn't decide right away no matter how long he tried to convince me. So after my countless attempts to end our conversation, I could finally hang up._

_"What does he want from you now?" Arata asked as I walked over to the kitchen counter to give him a kiss on his cheek. _

_I sighed, "He said there is this politican who was really really really really really -yes, he did say it at least five times, I counted it-," I told Arata with a laugh when he frowned at my hyperbolic statement, "Anyway, he wants me to handle the photographs for his political campaign. Apparently, it is Fujimoto Daiki whom everyone praises to be a politician who will bring the country into a new era blah blah blah. Watanabe said that he saw one of my photos I took in Africa, the one that just won an award, and he loves it. He thinks I can capture the people's heart and inspire other people through my photos. That is why he wants me to handle his entire campaign photographs. At least, that is what Watanabe told me." I shook my head slowly because I found the entire idea was somehow ridiculous. _

_Arata froze right after he heard the name. "Aki, Fujimoto Daiki-san is one of the prospective candidate to be the next Prime Minister. All over the newspaper and TV programs, people mentioned him as one of the good guys who play clean and fair. He is very strict on gangster and totally anti corruption. Everyone loves him. Survey said, he has the biggest chance to win the election. It will be a great opportunity for you to take this project," he argued._

_I shrugged my shoulders as I helped him to put the chicken to the pan, ready to fry it. "Well, I have never been one to believe in good guy VS bad guy, especially in politic. My point of view is there are both evil and virtue in everyone. Some guys are just looks better compare to the other in a certain perspective. But if we change our perspective slightly, the better guy may looks worse than the previously worse guy. If there is something that I learn from criminal photography-, " deep down in my heart I silently added, 'and my years becoming a lover of one hell of a crime lord' before I continued, "-it is that there isn't 100% good or 100% bad. The line between black and white can be so blur that in the end you will realize everything is just one huge grey-scale picture with hundreds of different perspective depending on which angle you take. Besides, I don't like politics."_

_Arata looked at me in disbelief like I suddenly grew another head and told him that I would give birth to his baby alien right there right then. I know what he thought. For Arata, it is not about the bad guy or the good guy. He believes we needed to take every opportunity that allowed us to climb the society ladder because those kinds of opportunities wouldn't come twice. In his opinion, taking every opportunity and working hard was the only way common people like us could become 'someone' and stopped being 'no one'. That was why he didn't understand at all why I even hesitated to take the offer. I thought sometimes, he just couldn't grasp the idea of working for one's passion or belief._

_Or maybe, it was simply because he didn't know. If it were money or prestige or power or status that I wanted in my life, I would have given up my job long time a go to rely my whole life on a powerful man who can grant me all those things at the snap of his fingers. I looked at Arata through my shoulder as he incredulously stared at me with an open mouth. Sighing, I tried to answer tactfully, "I will think about it, okay? Now get back to our salad, you lazy ass. I am damn hungry and I want to have my dinner at least before the sun rises again. And, at this moment, the prospect doesn't look very promising considering how slow you work on it."_

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><p>Walking into Asami-sama's spacious office with the his own assistant bringing a glass of orange juice and some snacks for the boy, Kirishima watches silently at Takaba-sama as the boy switches channels on the 110-inches Ultra HD TV. It was Friday night and as per their arrangement, the boy will have dinner together with his boss once a week, which usually are held every Friday. Sometimes, it was just a quite dinner at home. Other times, they will go out somewhere with private room.<p>

Today, their plan is to go to a new boutique restaurant that also serves as a gallery. The restaurant currently hosts a photography exhibition that customers can enjoy while having their dinner. And Kirishima has booked the whole place for their private dinner. Unfortunately, Asami-sama suddenly has a last-minute meeting that can't be postponed. Which is why the boy now sits on the oversized but cozy sofa in Asami-sama's luxurious office, trying to find something to spend the time. Maybe it is time to add PS3 into the office, Kirishima decides.

Kirishima's assistant, Haruka, puts the orange juice and snacks at the side table near the boy. Then she bows low at her boss' lover and waits to be excused.

"Oh, come on, Haruka-san. Stop being so stiff. I told you not to bow and all. And thank you for the drinks and foods," the boy immediately stands and complains at Haruka's attitude.

Haruka knows better than being anything but polite towards this boy who is introduced as his boss' undisclosed partner, though. Kirishima briefs her himself though he doesn't explain much of the details. So she diplomatically answers, "Of course, Takaba-sama." Then she bows once again and leaves the room.

Good girl.

The boy shakes his head at her. After a while, giving up on correcting Haruka's attitude, he turns his attention back to the news on the TV.

"Hey, it is Fujimoto Daiki. I haven't heard about him for a while since he was arrested for getting caught bribing various parties and corrupting government project's funding for his political campaign half a year a go," the boy exclaims before looking at Kirishima who stands good-naturedly a few feet behind the sofa, "Right before he was arrested, he actually asked me to do the entire photography for his political campaign, you know. And when I declined, he doubled and even tripled his offer. Arata practically begged me to sign the contract every night since Fujimoto was a very promising candidate for the Prime Minister position by that time. When he was caught, everyone who was involved with his campaign went into hell together with him. Lucky, I didn't take the project. I don't like politics anyway." The boy waves his hand as a sign that the whole things don't interest him in the first place.

Of course, Kirishima knows every detail about that, but he just replies in a respectful tone, "Really? Then, it was a wise decision for you not to take his offer, Takaba-sama."

The boy raises his eyebrow at his comment and glances at him. There is a heavy silence for a while and somehow it makes Kirishima feels a bit of unease. What the boy says after that does make him hold his breath for a while.

"You see, Kirishima, I always notices that when you talk to me way too politely, it usually means you don't want me to know about something that you know," the brat said with a complete blank face, feigning innocent by tilting his head.

That damn brat is getting smarter! Kirishima's first reflex is to defense himself, denying what the boy said. But his experience with Asami-sama stops him from digging his own grave deeper by saying anything that will only infuse the boy's curiosity further. So, he simply sighs and tells him the half-truth, "Well, I do know about Fujimoto's offer to you. I am the one who handles the daily reports of your activity for Asami-sama. I would know everything about you even if I didn't want to know. What else do you want me to say? It was truly wise for a brat not to be involved in politics, it is not a toy for a boy like you."

The boy looks at him for a full minute and Kirishima tries his best to keep his cool. After a moment, it seems the brat believes that Kirishima doesn't hide anything else so he turns around to continue watching TV. Inwardly, Kirishima exhales his relief.

Of course Kirishima still remembers this Fujimoto Daiki bastard. It was a few weeks after Takaba-sama received his award from the Photography Society. He and Suoh accompanied Asami-sama into a secret meeting with Fujimoto in a high-class Japanese restaurant. Almost none knew that Asami-sama was the one who sponsor Fujimoto's actions. In fact, it was Asami-sama himself who nurtured the good looking politician long before he gained his popularity through some of his radical moves; ones that was suggested personally by Asami-sama so he could add Fujimoto into his extensive pawn collections in the government.

The two loyal subordinates sat quietly at the corner of the room while their boss and his stupid doll enjoyed the dinner, discussing the incoming election and steps that Fujimoto should take to win it. It was when Asami-sama asked about Fujimoto's plan for his campaign that the idiot made his first blunder. Kirishima still memorizes what he said even until now.

'Ah, have your heard about Takaba Akihito, Asami-sama? I saw his photos that win an award from the Photography Society. I think he will be great in doing the photograph for the campaign,' the man laughed disgustingly before continued, 'Considering how much I offered him, I am sure he will accept the project. Then he can work for my campaign and my other-', he paused a while for effects, '-needs.'

Kirishima could detect Asami-sama's anger by the way he froze upon hearing Fujimoto's idea. It was not that other people would notice the difference. Asami-sama is very good at hiding what he truly thinks about people. It was an art he had perfected during his years ruling the underground world. But Kirishima had worked for him long enough to notice how his jaw slightly stiffened and his eyes grew discreetly icy, even when his smile was still on his lips.

'I beg your pardon, Fujimoto. I am not sure I understand what you mean by "your other needs".' Asami-sama gave that idiot a chance to correct himself. Not that he deserved any of it.

The politician just chuckled as if what he said was one of the funniest joke ever existed in the human history as he explained, 'You see, Asami-sama, being such a great person, you may not notice it. But your preference with light brown hair men and women has somewhat became a trend among the elites. Now, light brown hair pretties are totally in and everyone wants to have one or more of their own. Of course, I want to follow your steps as well. And when I saw that freelance photographer on some news, I knew he would be perfect. I am sorry to be this blunt,' he whispered in conspirational tone, 'but I can see that his ass is definitely one to die for; I can't wait to taste it myself. Imagining his lithe body writhing beneath me is enough to give me a hard on. I am surprised that you haven't noticed him yourself. I think he totally fits your usual type. If you want, I can share him with you.'

Sometime during his absurd speech, Kirishima swore that he could feel that the temperature in the room decreased at least a few degrees. He had no idea how come the idiot didn't feel it at all. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Suoh's hands shook on his knees from anger at the rude insult towards Takaba-sama. The boy might have been so naive beyond stupidity and caused numerous problems for them during his time with Asami-sama. But after one incident in Thailand, both he and Suoh had to admit that the boy was completely loyal and nonsensically in love with Asami-sama that he was ready to die for their boss. And that is enough reason for the two loyal subordinates to respect the boy as their boss' partner even after the boy left. As long as Asami-sama hadn't given up on the boy. any insult towards the boy was equal to an insult to Asami-sama himself. And for that, they were ready to blow this idiot empty head with a single bullet right away.

But Asami-sama sat still, not losing his polite smile at all. Without missing even a blink, he answered, 'I see, but I am sure you think too high about me.' and then continued the conversation as normal. If Asami-sama thought that they needed to let this Fujimoto alive in spite of his offenses, Kirishima and Suoh would accept his decision without questions.

The conversation went on as Asami-sama gently reminded Fujimoto on his promise to obtain an entry license for one of Asami-sama biggest shipment route, including some of his illegal ones. It was after Fujimoto left that Asami-sama removes his mask of kindness. With such a chilly voice that gave Kirishima goose bumps, he ordered the secretary to push Fujimoto to sign the grant as soon as possible; otherwise he would cancel all his future sponsorship for the politician. Afraid of losing his biggest support and blindly believing that Asami-sama would always protect him from any harm like he always did before, Fujimoto worked hard to get the entry license, bribing various parties with his illegal corrupted funding. It was only after the idiot signed the entry license for Asami-sama and all necessary documents were saved inside a safebox, that his boss ordered him to release the proof of all Fujimoto's criminal activity, careful enough to leave Asami-sama out of any damage.

Fujimoto lost all his popularity, power, wealth, position, wife and son in a single night. When the man tried to contact Asami-sama for help and got no response, he finally understood his situation. Luckily he still had a few working brain cells, for he didn't mention Asami-sama even once during the interrogation or he would lose his life as well. As Fujimoto went into jail, Asami-sama turned his full support into Fujimoto's rival who accepted his offer like a starving dog getting a piece of meat.

Indeed, Takaba-sama was wise to decline Fujimoto's offer. But Kirishima knows the boy has never been interested in politics in the first place. So he has no worry about that at all. That brat is far to idealistic to accept any political project.

His phone beeps disrupting his train of thought. It is a message from Suoh, informing that Asami-sama has finished with his meetings and is ready to go now.

"Takaba-sama, Asami-sama is done. He will be waiting for you in the car. I will accompany you there," he notifies the boy who is still seriously watching the news.

The boy immediately jumps and grabs his scattered stuffs. Kirishima will never understand how come the boy always manages to make such a mess in any amount of time. While the boy snatches his pen that somehow falls under the sofa, Kirishima hears him asks, "Kirishima, do you also know the real reason why I decline Fujimoto's offer?"

Kirishima frowns. What is this about? He decides to just answer honestly, "You already mentioned it. You said that it was because you don't like politics."

The boy's head pops from under the sofa as he looks at Kirishima. Then he slowly explains, "True. But actually, the night before God of Fortune turned his back from Fujimoto, I almost accepted his offer. Simply because-," he pauses to consider his next words carefully before resumes, "well, let's just say, I talked to another photojournalist who has a somewhat similar interest on Fujimoto. And I just can't let him to do that. Journalist can be very territorial on their target, you know."

Well, this is news. He doesn't expect the boy to be that interested in someone like Fujimoto that he doesn't want to let anyone else to steal his offer. Kirishima is actually a bit surprise. But he is not a journalist himself, so what does he know about what is inside their mind? Whatever the reason was, he thanks whatever God with such a great power that He could somehow change the boy's mind. Heaven knows how stubborn the boy could be once he made up his minds. Otherwise, it would be such a mess. Kirishima waits for the boy to finish his story, not sure where this conversation will lead to.

"And when I came back home from the bar that night, finally decided to take the offer, I received an anonymous text message. It was a short one. It said, '_Don't accept his offer_', that was all. From an unknown number. No name. No signature. Nothing else. I didn't even tell anyone other than Arata that I got the offer. Well, not until I told you just now, which obviously you somehow already knew. And I am sure Arata didn't mention it to anyone. I can always trust him on this kind of thing. Watanabe was dying for me to accept the offer, so it must not be him. Anyway, _whoever_ it was," the boys emphasizes on the word _'whoever'_ with an air quotes and a smug grins before he continues,"I ended rejecting the offer that night. The next morning, people went into jails for being involved with Fujimoto," he calmly finishes.

Kirishima's shock is beyond words. He can feel his face betrays his effort to keep his emotion hidden. Who did that? Was it Asami-sama? He shakes his head to clear his mind. Asami-sama usually informs him about all his actions related with his boy. Okay, maybe not exactly all of them, but Kirishima is quite sure he knows ALMOST all of them. But who else knew that the boy got an offer from Fujimoto other than him, Suoh, and Asami-sama? Suoh won't do anything without being instructed, he is just that loyal.

The boy grins at his shock expression and cheerfully says, "Well, I could see that even you don't know about this. Finally! There is something that I know that you don't know. Now, I can finally rest in peace." He jokes as he imitates holy pose with stupid smirk on his face before he turns the TV off.

"No need to accompany me. Geez, Kirishima, I am not a child. I know the way to the car park. Have a good rest tonight, okay? You deserve it. And thanks for keeping me company while I wait."

The boy bumps Kirishima's shoulder in a friendly manner, smiling all over at his small victory. He leaves Kirishima standing there in disbelief, jaws hanging open, while that little shit runs towards the lift, loudly shouting goodbye to Haruka on his way out.

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><p><em>The night before I needed to tell Watanabe my 'final' final decision on Fujimoto's offer, I decided to take a break from the whole affair AND from Arata's nagging. I knew that he just wanted the best for me. But sometimes he could be so annoying with his view of success.<em>

_The bar was quite pack, but I can finally find a table for Mitarai and I. Even though I didn't do criminal photography anymore, I always kept in touch with my previous colleagues. It helped to keep me up to date._

_That night, I let Mitarai pouring all his stress and complaining about his job, waiting patiently for him to slip me the information that I need on his own. He didn't disappoint me. After a few shots of hard liquor, he spills what I want to hear._

_'...and you know that Fujimoto Daiki? Some said the head of Takamiya group supports him. Other said that it is some foreign government who stands behind his back. But I got a reliable source that told me he is actually working for someone who is involved in the underground world. Alas, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find any proof. Could you believe that? How could you trust our own government if you know something like this happening under your nose? You understand, right, Takabat?'_

_I nodded simply to make him kept talking. Mitarai's voice was slurred, as he was getting drunk. But I still could understand what he said._

_"Who does he work for, Mitarai?" I pushed him._

_Mitarai grumbled and scowled before he answered, 'Who else that has so much power he could remove all the evident without any trace? Of course it is Asami Ryuichi, stupid! But even someone as strong as Asami Ryuichi will make a mistake one day. He will fall. When the day comes, I will be the one there to catch him through my viewfinder. And that is why I will keep following Fujimoto Daiki; my guts told me he will somehow bring me to my target.'_


	4. Chapter 4 The Best Secret Is Usually The

**Chapter 4. The Best Secret Is Usually The Cruelest One**

**Part 1. "Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead." - Benjamin Franklin**

Kirishima stares at the incredulous light brown hair girl with hazelnut eyes sitting in the beanie chair. She was somehow the most similar compared to all the others, both physic and personality wise. And the most difficult one that Kirishima had to handle so far, even though not as difficult as the real one. Sometimes Kirishima feels that she is just that good at pretending instead of truly having similar personality with Takaba-sama.

"Are you kidding me?! You called me here just to ask about this?!" He can't stop himself from shouting.

That little bitch just tilts his head innocently in a way that Kirishima thinks more and more annoying lately. He seriously hopes that Asami-sama gets tired with this one real soon and orders her death. Ohh, how he will really enjoy that. But so far, the prospect seems unpromising. Instead, it looks like Asami-sama enjoys her company and he often brings her out more than the others. He just silently prays that her being seen together with Asami-sama in public will somehow persuade the enemies to kidnap her faster. Because otherwise, he starts to seriously consider the idea of making a fake kidnapping incident for her personally.

The cheeky girl answers him with a perfect angelic smile plastered on her face, "Well, Asami-sama said I should call you whenever I have problem. And I do have one right now. It is a problem for me if Asami-sama doesn't spend much time with me like before. Where is he?"

He walks so fast to grab her chin roughly and leans closer that their faces are just separated for a few inches. He can feel her warm steady breath on his face.

"What Asami-sama does or doesn't do is none of your problem, whore," he growled low, "You better do your job silently like a good girl or I will terminate your contract right here, right now. Do you understand, Emi-chan?"

If the girl is surprised by his action, she covers it well. She even keeps her eyes locked with his in a defiant way, her smile never falters even for a bit. Sometimes, Kirishima thinks it is her natural insolence and disobedience that makes her looks similar with Takaba-sama. But if Takaba-sama's rebellion appears guileless, hers makes something within him shakes slightly in fear. And he swears, he is not one who easily gets scared.

Believing he has made his point, he releases the girl, leaving a bruise mark on her right cheek. It will be okay; Asami-sama doesn't care about these whores who only stay here for his money and some luxury. Leaving Emi behind, he doesn't notice the glint of cold anger and determination in her eyes.

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><p>"Could you please check it again? I am sure we have made our booking a week a go," Arata begs the lady who welcomes them at the entrance of the famous western restaurant.<p>

She takes a quick look on her list and slowly shakes her head. "I am very sorry, Sir. But unfortunately, it seems that your name is not listed here. The restaurant doesn't have available table at the moment, but I can put you in the waiting list. Do you want me to do so?" she asks politely.

I wait with my parents behind him. They just come to town to visit and I know they don't really care where to eat as long as they can spend some time with us. But as I stretch my hand towards Arata to tell him that we can just go to another place, a familiar voice that recently causes a bittersweet taste deep inside me comes from the door.

"Is there any problem here?" Asami asks with his velvety tone.

The lady and some other waitresses nearby quickly bow towards him. So do Arata when he notices who is speaking. My mother looks confused, unsure of whom this person is. But seeing the respect showed by Arata, she quickly follows to bow, though not as low as the others. My father, though, just looks at Asami intensely as if he is trying to figure out who this man that oozes so much power and wealth is. It is no wonder considering he also worked in criminal photography more than 20 years a go. Though he retired from that world right after I was born, he must have heard rumors about Asami at least once through his old network.

Arata sees that I am still standing, frozen in my place, and he moves to grab me. But Asami just waves his hand lightly to stop him and allows everyone to rise. I sigh and shake my head cynically at all this bizarre display. Where is this human equality that everyone seems to talk about nowadays?

"Asami-sama, it is a surprise but it is good to meet you here," Arata greets him warmly.

With a slight smile that doesn't reach his icy eyes, Asami answers him politely, "It is good to see you too, Takagi-san," he then looks behind Arata at my parents and I with amused eyes, "and Takaba-sensei." He paused to enjoy my deathly glare at him before he continues, "And may I know who this lovely couple are?"

I almost snort loudly. The bastard must know everything about my family by now, maybe even remembering every detail about their neighbors. But Arata looks at me waiting for an introduction so I tell Asami briefly in a flat tone, "Please introduce my parents, Asami-sama," I purposely give a mocking that will only be noticeable by the person himself as I drag at his honorifics. "This is my mother, Takaba Kaede and my father, Takaba Ichirou. Father, mother, this is Arata's client, Asami Ryuichi-sama."

As both parties exchange greetings, I narrow my eyes at Suoh, who stands like a giant behind Asami, as discreet as humanly possible when you are standing between your boyfriend, your sort-of-secret-lover, and your parents, sending a silent question whether this is all happened as per Asami's plan. By some miracles, it seems Suoh understands (_or he just develops some abilities that allow him to read my mind after knowing me for so many years!_) and he slightly shakes his head without really looking at me.

"Oh, the restaurant missed your prior booking and now you need to wait?" Asami asks Arata with a frown between his perfect brows. I have no idea why everything about that man has to be so perfect, from the tip of his hair to the end of his toes. If God does exist, He must be in a really good mood when He created Asami. Or He simply wanted to make my life harder so He created Asami to make my breath stops whenever he is near no matter where I am or who is around. _Stop it, Akihito_. I tried to look at anything but him.

Asami slowly walks around me towards the reception lady, passing me by only millimeters of distance in purpose. The scent of his cologne and a hint of his cigarettes fill my entire body and, my hand, that almost touches his, trembles slightly with hidden desire. I suddenly have a strong urge to touch him and to drag the tip of my tongue on his sexy muscles. I can feel my breath gets faster with excitement but I grit my teeth to stay still. Damnit, Asami, if this is his plan to keep our secret, he may as well announce it with a loudspeaker in the middle of the road. I quickly turn around to hide whatever reaction shown in my face -or worse, my body- from Arata and my parents. Lucky for me, it seems no one notices anything strange, everyone is too unsure on what to do in this situation to take a look on my sudden awkwardness.

"I am sure you can arrange something for them, Honda-san. We have never treated our respectful customer like this and we will not start now. There must be some space in the VIP area," Asami calmly orders the reception lady.

The lady shakes in fear as she bows very low with promises that she will immediately prepare the tables for them. Asami nods gracefully in appreciation, before turning to look at Arata, who sees him with new admiration, and my parents, who see him with confusion.

"I am very sorry for this incident, Takagi-san, Takaba-sensei. I hope you will still enjoy your dinner at our establishment." Then, with an evil amusement in his eyes, he addresses Arata, "Takagi-san, I don't know that you are such a _good_ friend with Takaba-sensei you even have dinner with his family."

Only Asami can say a sentence fully dipped in sarcasm in a very polite and charming way. I can see Arata's embarrassment as he becomes red to the edge of his ears and neck. He opens his mouth but no words come out. I readily move forward to defend Arata, but Asami quickly cuts me, "There is nothing to worry, Takagi-san. I have nothing against such a," he lingered to look at me in the eyes for a moment longer than necessary before he continues, "-inclination." He stares back at Arata with his fake smile, "In fact, I can somehow understand it."

Now it is my turn to blush. How dare the bastard flirts with me in front of everyone. Even Arata looks a bit surprised with the transparent flirting. But when Asami winks his eye at Arata and walks away like a king towards his own table, Arata just gives a small nervous laugh.

"Rich people, they always live frivolously; we will never understand them," he shakes his head slowly, "At least, it seems he doesn't has any problem with our relationship."

I just shrug. _Oh, I am not sure about other rich people, Arata, but you have no idea how frivolous Asami can be_.

* * *

><p>Emi stays a few hundreds meters from the restaurant in her disguise. She learnt long a go that if she dyes her hair in any other color but light brown and uses other color soft lenses instead of leaving her original hazelnut eyes bare, Asami-sama's guards will never notice her. It is just the color of her hair and eyes that attract their attention. For them, she is nothing if it is not because of her hair and eyes color. Especially for that dog Kirishima. She needs to be careful with him or Suoh, though. They both always pay more attention to every detail compared to the other guards. Which is good, because her master needs as much protection as possible. But one day, she will need to teach those two dogs who is really in power here. Not today, though.<p>

She has seen Asami-sama entered the premises. It took quite an effort to get the information from that stupid guard who always stands in front of her penthouse, but she finally managed to coax him. She snorts, '_Huh, men, they are all the same._' as she remembers the disappointing cock of the guard. Well, all but Asami-sama. Asami-sama is different. She actually doesn't like to cheat on Asami-sama and she always extremely careful to put condom on. Kirishima always brings her to medical check regularly, but who knows what that guard brings. If Asami-sama ever finds out, that will be the end of all her careful plan.

She is not stupid despite what that irritating Kirishima thinks. She had done her homework since she moved in into Asami-sama's penthouse. By the second weeks, she found out that his powerful master had a few others girls and boys with exactly similar characteristics. That is a bit freaky, even for her standard, and heaven knows she is already a bit of a freak herself. But everyone has his or her own kinks and his master is madly rich and influential, so she won't complain. Since then, she had waited patiently to make her next move. This kind of thing needs to be done with patient and not in rush.

It was after she accidently saw the fate of one of the boy who broke the strict rule by stupidly falling truly in love with her powerful man that she knew it was time to make her next move. Tsk, she still couldn't believe that boy idiotic behavior. Didn't that stupid boy know that a man as powerful as Asami-sama is not someone you should be in love with? That should be the first lesson his mother told him. That kind of man doesn't need love. What they need is a strong partner who can smile innocently like an angel by his side while killing brutally to remove any obstacles behind him.

It took her some time to persuade her guard that it was safe to give her bits of information. The weak man is so scared with Asami-sama that he didn't dare to say anything at first. '_As he and everyone else should be'_, Emi claims with proud inwardly. She knows the power his master holds over other people. She has even seen people with high positions from all over the world bows towards her master. And every time she stands beside him while those people tremble to pay their respects, she is filled with so much pride at Asami-sama that she will become much wilder in bed after that. Of course, she is careful enough to always put a struggle first in the beginning. Ooh, and how her strong man loves that.

Her first victim was easy to fool. It was another light brown hair boy with a sweet dimple on his left cheek. He was kinda nice actually; the boy even took her as a friend, believing her story about wanting to have a comrade who can understand their unique circumstances. It was too bad that she couldn't allow any potential threats otherwise she didn't mind to keep him around. Instead, she set him up with a male whore that she paid in such a way that Asami-sama would find it out. The boy was dead even before the sun rose.

The second one was a bit difficult. She was much more suspicious of Emi, there was no possibility to get closer. But later, Emi found out that Asami-sama would not care if any of his girls and boys were kidnapped, hurt, or killed. Actually, she knew it the hard way herself. But she believed that it was Asami-sama's way to see which one of them was strong enough to protect themselves. A kind of '_survival to the fittest_', in her opinion, which proved her master's ingenuity in choosing partner.

She abducted that girl by herself, prepared with chloroform, butcher knife and stun gun. Her scream was phenomenal as Emi sliced her body apart. Throwing the pieces of her body was a bit difficult, but somehow she could do it. She knew later from her guard that Asami-sama didn't even look for the girl.

The last two boys were much easier. But she was careful not to do the same things twice. The last thing she wants to do is to attract Asami-sama's attention. Besides, she has an image to maintain. Did she mention already about being an angel at her master's side?

Anyway, she is not sure what keeps Asami-sama away from her for so long now. But sooner or later, she will find it out. Asami-sama is the king. And it is her responsibility to gently show him the way back to his queen.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. "The best way of keeping a secret is to pretend there isn't one." - Margaret Atwood<strong>

Our table is ready not long after Asami left. As we sit around it, I notice that he sits just a few tables away from us, slightly hidden deeper inside the VIP room with a clear view of our own table and everything else in the restaurant. He raises his glass of wine at us with a smile when we look at him briefly; Arata and my parents nod their silent thanks.

The restaurant itself is very beautiful. It exudes an air of elegance with the crystal chandelier and its chic interior design. The atmosphere is romantic with dimmed lighting. And the food is actually amazing. Arata and my parents keep praising every dish they have. But I feel uneasy with the whole situation I hardly manage to swallow every bite I take.

Apparently there is a live music today. And when the musicians start to play "Close to You" by the Carpenters, my parents' favorite song, they decide to follow other much-younger couples example, and go off for some slow dance. My mother looks a bit embarrassed but she grabs my father's hand in a strong and trusting grip. The vocalist starts and everyone's eyes follow her movement as she sings.

_Why do birds suddenly appear  
>Every time you are near?<br>Just like me, they long to be  
>Close to you<em>

I observe my old mother and father slowly move around, laughing at each other as they kiss lightly. My father's hands rest on my mother's waist intimately as they follow the music, recalling the old memory when they were just two young people falling in love. Their eyes full with tenderness, as clear to everyone around as the singer's voice that echoes inside the restaurant.

_Why do stars fall down from the sky  
>Every time you walk by?<br>Just like me, they long to be  
>Close to you<br>_

The other young couples around my parents have noticed this old couple with hairs all white and movement a bit slow because of age, that are still so much in love with each other even after all these years. Everyone just stops moving, looking with awe and respect at these old man and woman and at their love that manages to survive the cruelty of time. And I suddenly feel a sharp pang of envy at the sight of my own parents.

_On the day that you were born the angels got together  
>And decided to create a dream come true<br>_

Arata squeezes my hand warmly under the table. His eyes are still fixated with admiration on my parent's affection at each other. But at that point, I hardly can breath. My heart may burst with so many emotions, so much hidden feelings, so much tenderness. And it is not for Arata. I blink my eyes rapidly to fight the tears that threaten to fall anytime soon.

_So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair  
>Of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue<em>

I look around discreetly to find Asami. And when my eyes find him, I can see his own face harden with as much emotions as mine. Love. Sadness. Passion. Jealousy. Anger. Asami stares at me for a very long moment. His body is so stiff as he tries to contain whatever feelings from exploding.

_That is why all the girls in town  
>Follow you<br>All around  
>Just like me, they long to be<br>Close to you  
><em>

I don't notice the way Arata absentmindedly moves closer to me to grab my waist, so affected by all the love in the room that he forgets his usual reserved attitude when we are in public. Not until I see pain flashes in Asami's eyes and he slowly closes his eyes. He stands from his table gracefully as ever, throws his napkin onto his table, and walks away. And the only thing I want to do is to run for him, to sooth his hurt, and to pamper his broken ego. But I just freeze there. My body loses all its strength and will to move as Asami's silent ache affect me.

_On the day that you were born the angels got together  
>And decided to create a dream come true<br>So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair  
>Of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue<br>_

I turn to Arata. His eyes are still on my parents. Somehow he notices me staring so intensely at him. He looks at me with a loving smile and sees the tears that stream down inaudibly on my cheeks. I close my eyes quickly so he doesn't see the anger hidden there. It is none of his fault. If anyone is at fault, it is me. He moves his hand tenderly at my back, thinking that I am as affected with my parents as him and trying to comfort me.

_That is why all the girls in town  
>Follow you<br>All around  
>Just like me, they long to be<br>Close to you_

I don't understand how come my love for Arata just an hour a go completely turn sour by now. Suddenly the romantic song doesn't sound so romantic anymore. If else, I just want it to stop. I fight the urge to scream at the singer and to force her to just shut her mouth up.

_Just like me, they long to be  
>Close to you<br>_

As the song finally comes into an end, everyone in the room stands and claps at my parents in a thunderous harmony.

* * *

><p>When Arata drive my parents back into the hotel, I am quite. Arata and my parents keep laughing, chattering about the memorable night, but they let me have my peace for a while as I try to gain some control of my overflowing emotions. I look through the window at nothing, thinking carefully about all that just happened. I can't stay like this forever. It is just not fair for anyone involved.<p>

It is a shock for me, when my mother drags me aside while my father keeps talking with Arata before Arata and I left their hotel room.

"Who is exactly that man, Aki?" she asks in whispers as she brings me outside, saying that she needs to walk around for a while after so much delicious food. Like she needs any more exercise after that much dancing, but I obediently follow her. Her question, though, stops me at my track.

I try to keep my cool as I answer her, "What do you mean? Which man?"

"Don't you dare to lie to me, Akihito," she chastises me and I know that I am in big trouble just by the way she says my name, "I don't become your mother for all these years for nothing. I saw how you tried not to look at him even if no one else in the room noticed it. I saw how you stiffens every time he was near you just like how you stiffened near me every time you don't want to show any reaction to me, like when you tried to hide your bad test scores or your injury from a fight at school."

I don't know how a mother can always sense this kind of things with their children. But obviously, I can't hide it from her. So, I sigh at my defeat and reply her with as much honesty as I can tell, "I don't know, mother. I don't even know what kind of relationship we had. Or, we have. I am not sure which term is more accurate for us at the moment. I have known him years before I met Arata, but we fell apart some time back. He is truly Arata's client, though. And I can't just tell him not to have business project with all my ex, can I? Not that I have many of them."

My mother looks at me deeply before she decides that I told her the truth. Then she brings me to her warm embrace and I am so overwhelmed as I hug her small body. I feel like I am a small boy again, seeking solace in my mother's protection after the bully in my 5th grade beaten me up for having a platonic friendship with a girl that he secretly liked. She comforts me with gentle pats at my back as I sob quietly into her shoulder. Arata's job, his family situation, Asami's life and safety, my own uncontrollable desire towards the powerful man; everything seems much more bearable now. I really am not sure what to do with all of this but her presence strengthens me in a way no one else can.

"Does Arata know about your relationship with him?" she asks softly.

I shake my head, "No, he doesn't. And I can't find the right time to tell him."

"And you will never find it, Aki," she strokes my cheek with love, "There is never a right time for this kind of thing. I won't tell you what to do. You are not a boy anymore, Aki. You are a mature man who has earns your own independence and achievement. What I can tell you is that you have to learn to stop running away from the truth and face it like a man. Denial will not solve anything. Sooner or later, someone will sniff your secret, and you will be in a much more mess than now."

She brings my forehead closer and kisses me gently, "Whatever your decision is in the end, I know you will do the right thing."

* * *

><p>Emi saw everything. She saw how Asami-sama looks at that light brown hair boy. She saw how the boy looked back at Asami-sama. And still, she couldn't believe her eyes.<p>

She doesn't understand. This boy looks similar with all the other boys and girls that Asami-sama keeps. But somehow he looks different. He looks... natural. Observing the way he walks and acts, it doesn't seem that he even tries to be someone else. And she is usually quite good at judging people's act.

And there is the man who stands at the boy's side. From his behavior, it looks like that they have an intimate relationship. But it doesn't make any sense. She knows for sure that Asami-sama doesn't share. She has seen the evident herself multiple times. Sharing is what common people do, and Asami-sama is anything but common. What did Kirishima told her during her training? _Asami-sama is the King, and the King takes what he wants._

She observes the boy's car leaving the hotel from her luxurious Audi. From the way the boy dresses and the brand of his car, it doesn't look like he lives in overflowing comfort like all the other girls and boys. Of course, they all have to be careful to dress when Asami-sama is around, it won't do any good to wear something too fancy. But she still tries to at least keep a certain level of class while pretending not to care of what she wears. She is a queen and a queen can't look too much like a commoner, no matter what her master's taste is like.

Everything is just too confusing. But, it is just a matter of time until she finds out what this is all about. She can wait. She is patient and she shouldn't rush to handle this kind of delicate situation. She strokes her belly in adornment.

_Asami-sama is the King, and soon, my son will be his Prince_.


	5. Chapter 5 What Lies In Power

**Chapter 5. What Lies in Power**

**Part 1. Deep Within Every Man, There Is a Secret Power**

'sorry, _can't go home yet. but will come home for your birthday next week. promise. xxx._'

Arata's text makes me sigh. I can count with the fingers on my single hand how many times he comes home since our dinner with my parents more than two weeks a go. And when he did come home, it would only be for a few hours; leaving him just enough time to take a quick shower, change his clothes, and then go back to his office.

It seems there is a problem with his project with Asami so that Arata and his team needs to focus all their time and energy to fix it. Knowing this issue, I don't pay much attention when there is no news from Asami as well. He must be busy with the problem with his business. Besides, it is good to have a bit of distance when I need to make a decision about my relationships (yes, it is in plural form now!). Being around Asami with my brain clouded with pure lust definitely will not help me to make any.

The first thing I decided is that I need to be honest with Arata as soon as he has time to talk more than just a few words. I don't plan to tell him every little detail. There is no need to hurt him more than what I have done. But I can't be with him when my heart is with someone else. He deserves better than that. I know it will definitely mean the end of our relationship. Or maybe our relationship has died long time a go when we become more like a roommate and less of a couple as we both get more and more busy with our own work and life. Whichever the case is, I don't want to keep any more secrets from him.

To be honest, there is a part of me that is afraid to face the truth. Arata has been my touchstone for the last two years. What we have gone through may not be as heart throbbing as what Asami and I have experienced together. However, we have supported and cared for each other for quite a long time that I have almost forgotten how life without him is. But I know it is time to stop running away from reality. That is the least thing I can do for Arata at this moment.

What I will do with Asami is a much more difficult question. I know if I decided to be with him, I have to change. And I am not sure what I am going to be once that happens. But there is just no way I stay with him and still remain unaffected. In one way or another, his way of life will change me. Just like my way of life will also somehow change him.

His world is not one with a guarantee that everything will be fine or that we will always be together happily ever after. As soon as people notices that I am with him, his enemies will look for me, just like before. And Asami will do everything in his power to protect me, again. Doesn't it mean I am just going around and around in the same old problem? Will I wake up again one day, realizing what a mistake it is to stay stubbornly by his side and to watch him hurt or even die because of me? Then what is the point of all those miserable days and nights after breaking up with him if I am just going to repeat it all over again?

In the end, letting him go will do good looks like the better option for both Asami and I. Just like Arata deserves someone who loves him completely, Asami deserves someone strong who can stand and support him by his side instead of being a burden.

As for me? I will be fine by myself. Really. Bouncing back from whatever things life throws at me is my specialty anyway. I will just focus in my career. I am going to be a famous photographer and live my life to the fullest. Yeah, it is decided. Who needs an arrogant and control freak crime lord, anyway, when fame has been waiting for me all along? Right? I chant the silent argument inside my head a few times a day like a mantra.

But when Kirishima sends me a text message on the first Thursday night since my parents' visit, informing that Asami will not be able to make it for our regular Friday dinner, I start to feel unsure about my own decision to leave Asami. My determination wavers more as Asami also cancels our next dinner a week after that. Suddenly, being alone at home doesn't give me the peaceful time needed to think. Instead, it makes me feel restless. The silence in my apartment pressures me in a way that makes me unable to sleep. Eating alone doesn't improve my appetite. Being unable to settle things with Arata due to his long work hours doesn't help to improve my mood. And knowing I may lose Asami again and for good this time (if I haven't lost him already considering how he keeps avoiding me!) makes everything worse.

I think I am going to lose my mind if I don't talk to someone soon. So, as I leave for work, I text Kou and tell him to call me as soon as possible.

* * *

><p>"Takaba, Sato, get your lazy ass here! NOW!"<p>

I slowly bang my head to my desk. My other teammates look at Sato-san and I with pity. I don't remember why exactly I decided to take a short-term contract for this photography collection project sponsored by a local clothing brand. I don't usually take a full time project no matter how short, preferring to be a freelancer. But the vision of the project is very inspiring and the payment is quite good. So I thought, why not? It may be nice to have a stable income for a couple of months, especially since Arata pointed out how unstable my freelance job is when I asked him to stop his project with Asami. During my first few days working in the project, I already regret my decision.

To be fair, the work itself is quite interesting. It will be a good experience if it is not for Takamiya Yamada, the jerk who is in charge of the project. I stand slowly from my seat where I edit my latest photos. Sato-san, my partner in this project, sends me a nervous grin as she stands from her own seat. She is a cheerful young photographer in her mid twenties with such an incredible talent. But in the last few weeks, her smile every time Yamada calls us looks more like she is having constipation. Not that I can blame her since I feel exactly the same way.

Vowing that I will never ever for any kind of reasons take a full time project again, I walk towards Yamada's office with Sato-san. Yamada sits behind his desk as he glares at our slowness. When we approach his desk, he throws a pile of photos towards us before we can say any word. One sharp edge of the photo paper cuts the skin on my cheek, right below my right eye. Luckily, I stand slightly in front of Sato-san so I can cover her from any damage, but I can still hear her shock gasp behind me.

"You both are useless! What kind of crap is this? You spent three full days, three full days, and this is the result?! I can pay someone cheaper for a much better quality than this!"

Having lack of sleep for days, I lose my patience quickly. I glare at that shitty Yamada in anger and it is obviously a mistake. He notices my irritation and instantly points his fat finger at me.

"What? Do you think one award make you so great, huh?! You are just a dumb photographer who has to do whatever I said! I am your boss in this project! If I said it is crap, you agree with it! Do you understand?!"

I have had my photos thrown into the trash bin in my early days as photojournalist. I have been shouted at in a much harsher way. I have been shot. Kidnapped. Raped. Even sold to some old geezer in Russia by that stupid Yuri. But for some unknown reason, being told that my work are crap by someone who doesn't know one fucking bit about photography, upsets me more that any of those things. So, I slam his desk as hard as I can. Silence fills the whole office as everyone -myself included- freezes with my abrupt anger.

"Sato-san, you are a talented photographer, you deserve something better than this," I tell her calmly before I walk away.

I quickly gather my stuffs into my backpack and leave the building without looking back. As I walk randomly through the heavy streets full of people, I bump into a man who immediately curses at me. In my annoyance, I yell back at him, ignoring the fact that I am the one at fault, until I hear someone calling me from behind.

"Takaba-sama?"

I turn around to face Kirishima and Suoh, each standing a few feet from me holding a cup of coffee as they stare in shock. Maybe it is days and nights of thinking about Asami and Arata that finally takes its effect on me or it is simply due to my anger towards the idiot that claims himself as my boss or a mix of both, but I find myself snapping at Kirishima and Suoh.

"What? Now, I also can't shout at someone? And who dare to order me so? Of course, your boss! He will ask you to jump and you will ask him how high! Don't you see how absurd it is?! Can't you tell him to fuck off whenever he order you to do some kind of ridiculously fucking tasks?! Don't you have your own opinion in any fucking thing?!"

I need to stop my sudden outcry because I run out of breath. As I struggle to take deep breaths as fast as possible, Kirishima and Suoh just stand there in silence.

"Does this man cause problem to you, Takaba-sama?" Suoh ask coolly as if I haven't said anything rude to him before he carefully moves forward towards me. He slowly passes his coffee into Kirishima, who receives it without any other word behind him.

The man I shouted at instantly sees danger as he looks at the giant bodyguard. Both Suoh and Kirishima do have that kind of intimidating effect on people. "Wait, it is him who bumps into me first," he tries to argue as he raises his hand in a surrender gesture.

But I am already at my end of rationality. The rush of adrenaline infused by my anger suddenly leaves me. My knees give away and I fall into Suoh's ready hands. My poor victim sees this as an opportunity to run away from this crazy man and his two bulky bodyguards. And I let him be. I feel so tired. The last thing I remember is Kirishima's voice ordering the doctor to come.

* * *

><p>"So, basically, he is just collapsed due to lack of sleep?"<p>

I hear Asami's cool voice. I am not ready to face him yet so I pretend to sleep.

Another voice, it must the doctor, answers, "And lack of vitamins and nutrition, yes. Once he has enough rest and some proper meals, he will be fine in no time. I will prescribe some medicine that will help him to rest well today."

The room is silent for a few long minutes. Then Asami calmly says, "I have to say I don't believe it, Sensei. I want a complete body check right here right now. Please make sure every nook, cranny, hole, and-"

"What the hell, bastard?!" I instantly open my eyes as I yell at him.

Asami stands in front of me with a smirk plastered on his face. The poor doctor seems nervous beside him. Kirishima is a few feet behind them with Haruka who holds a bowl of water and a towel on her arm. And everyone looks at me.

"It seems we don't need full body check after all, Sensei. My boy just wakes up and he looks well," he teases me. I scowl at his dirty trick before I finally check my surrounding. I find myself lying on the huge sofa in Asami's spacious office room. Someone has put a blanket on my lower body and a pillow under my head.

Asami moves to sit at the single chair nearby as the doctor hastily does a quick final check on me. Concluding that I am okay, he reminds me again to have plenty of rest and proper meals. I just nod at whatever he said, too busy trying to avoid Asami's penetrating gaze. As soon as the doctor leaves the room with Haruka leading the way, I start fidgeting.

"How do you get that scratch on your cheek, Akihito?" Asami asks lightly as he takes his cigarettes box from his pocket. Putting one in his mouth, he turns his face towards Kirishima who readily lights his cigarette. I watch Asami slowly take a deep breath from his deadly stick.

"None of your business, bastard," I mumbles stubbornly. After days worrying about him and suddenly finding him behaves like nothing is wrong, I don't feel the need to act all friendly with the man.

For the next few minutes, Asami just silently smokes without saying anything else. Kirishima brings a glass of Asami's absurdly expensive whiskey. I snort. The man can survive without anything else in life as long as he can smoke, drink, and have sex like crazy rabbit. Why do I need to worry so much about his life and safety anyway? He will certainly die early from his bad habits long before anyone can put a bullet in his head.

When he realizes that I will keep my silence no matter how long he waits, Asami calls me with a sharp edge of warning in his voice, "Akihito."

"It is nothing, okay!? Why do you care anyway? I am just a dumb useless photographer! Oh, and you are mad at me!" I sulk.

I know I am acting like a kid, blaming him for my bad day. But if I am hoping to fuse his feathers with my words, his reaction is totally disappointing. Asami doesn't even blink. He tilts his head slightly with his fingers rubbing his chin as if he is trying to decide whether I indeed made him angry or I am indeed a dumb useless photographer or both. Each option just makes me angrier.

"Oh, really? And may I know who said that you are _'just a_ _dumb useless photographer'_?" he finally asks, tapping his cigarette at the ashtray on the side table.

I feel a bit upset that he doesn't deny the idea that he is mad at me. So, just to make his life difficult, I shrug dramatically for effect, "Everyone did."

"I see," he said evenly as he takes another drag of his smoke, "And who is this _'everyone'_?"

My patience wears unreasonably thin for him and practically for everything else in this world, so I yell again, "Everyone is everyone! Like that stupid Yamada and you and everyone else!"

But he just smirks sarcastically at my explosion. The amusement that usually comes with his signature smirk doesn't appear in his icy golden eyes this time. I can see his slightly stiffened jaw as he considers his next reply. I gulp. Whatever the reason is, the man must be really mad at me. "Oh, did I ever say it? Please pardon me. It must be my old age catching up with me that I can't seem to remember. I am not sure about the dumb part, but you are obviously not useless, in my opinion. Actually, in the opposite, I always think that you are very _useful_, brat," he says, putting much more meaning into what _'useful'_ truly means than what is written in any dictionary on earth.

I blush. Not because I feel fluttered, but because I feel insulted. Being called useful because I am such a convenient lover doesn't exactly help to boost my shattered ego at this moment. But I have learnt enough not to take the bait. Instead I glower at him, silently praying that I suddenly have developed some kind of superpower that allows me to kill someone simply by looking at him. It will definitely solve all of my problems.

He looks back at me with a thoughtful gaze and I find that I don't like it. Asami never seems thoughtful whenever he looks at me. Lustful? Yes. Entertained? Most of the times. Thoughtful? Definitely no. Finally, when I almost say anything just to break the uncomfortable silence, he stands and says, "Kirishima will send you back to your apartment. You need to take a rest and proper meals."

His cold attitude makes me feel even more dejected and before my brain can process what happen, I find myself asking him desperately, "Can't I stay here? I will keep quite you won't even notice me. I just don't want to go home and being alone right now."

He stills. I look up at him slowly as I realize my stupidity. '_Me and my traitorous mouth_,' I curse silently. But Asami roughly messes my hair before whispering softly, "Such a brat."

Then he calls Kirishima and orders the man to somehow find a temporary room divider so that I can sleep on his office sofa and he can works without worrying that any of his business partners will see me and wonder what this brat doing on his expensive leather sofa.

I grin at Kirishima while the other man scowls back at me.

* * *

><p>Kirishima has checked the brat a handful times today. But when he enters Asami-sama's office to pass some more documents for his boss' approval, he can't help but take a quick look behind the room divider to check the boy one more time. The brat is sleeping peacefully now. Thanks to all Gods and the strong medicines.<p>

The boy almost gave Kirishima and Suoh a heart attack when he collapsed in the middle of the road after his crazy antics with that man. Though Kirishima would rather die than admitting the truth out loud, he actually feel worry for the outrageous brat.

He shakes his head slowly. How one innocent brat can cause so many troubles, headaches and deaths in this world, he will never understand. Takaba-sama just has the natural talent to do so, but Kirishima will make sure that the boy will never know that he can give someone a glance and that person will be death before the next morning comes. He knows such a power will change people, and the last thing he wants is for the boy to lose his innocence.

He gently removes a stubborn bang from that boy's face, noticing the short scratch below the photographer's right eye. Kirishima smiles when he remembers the inhuman screams that shitty Yamada gave away when Suoh broke a few of his bones. The instruction from their boss was clear. Asami-sama told them to find this Yamada that Takaba-sama talked about and to give him a _friendly_ visit. From their brief introduction, it is quite obvious this Yamada was the one who caused unnecessary stress to the boy. Kirishima and Suoh have made sure that Asami-sama's message was delivered clearly to that jerk. No one can insult, moreover, to damage their boss' property. That asshole is lucky that the boy's eye is not hurt. Otherwise, a few broken bones and a tongue won't be enough to save his pathetic life.

Kirishima attentively makes sure that the boy's glass on the coffee table is still full of warm water when Asami-sama calls him from his desk.

"Is he still sleeping?"

He answers truthfully, "Like a baby. He must be very tired. He looks thinner."

Asami-sama doesn't make any comment on that so Kirishima just waits for order patiently. His boss spends a few more minutes reading his paper works before looking at him and giving him instruction in a low voice so that there is no way the boy will hear even if he is not truly sleeping.

"Give that Takagi dog a little break. It is enough for now. As always, loneliness makes my Akihito craving for company and soon or later, he will learn that it is up to me to give it to him or take it from him. I assume the dog and his team are working like madmen by now to accomplish what I ask them to do for the past two weeks, aren't they?"

Truthfully speaking, that dog and his team almost work themselves to death, but Kirishima just nods at the understatement. There is no need to bother Asami-sama with such a minor detail.

"Stop their current project for now. Pay a huge amount of bonus for their hard work. Let them relax for a week or two."

"Yes, Asami-sama," Kirishima replies respectfully as he bows low. Concluding that Asami-sama doesn't need him anymore for now, he walks to leave the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. A Man Knows His Own Power<strong>

I sleep like the dead, as Asami's baritone voice lulls me into a dreamless slumber while he discusses mundane matters like Japan's financial needs, his shares in Google, and billions of dollars of profits from his businesses at South East Asia. I remember Haruka came a few times to give me more medicines after she spoon-fed me a small amount of chicken porridge. She has become much more familiar with me by now that she started to joke with me as she forced me to eat more. After that she would leave me alone to sleep again. I think I even saw a glimpse of Kirishima and Suoh every now and then, fixing my blanket or checking my temperature. Not that I understand why they have to check my temperature since I don't even have a fever. But it still feels nice knowing that someone cares about you when you aren't well.

When I finally wake up, I already feel much better and the world doesn't look so harsh anymore. It is dark outside. From Asami's floor-to-ceiling window, I can see the silhouette of Tokyo shimmering like a box full of diamonds. Asami's office is so high that everything looks so small below. I wonder whether he thinks of himself as a king or even a god every time he looks down on all the common people down there struggling with their every day life, trying to work on problems that he will never experience in his superior existence.

I throw my blanket away and walk to peek into Asami's side of the room (yes, I consider the side behind the temporary room divider as my side already!). He is sitting in his chair behind the huge wooden desk. His broad back halfway faces the glorious Tokyo landscape and I. The three pieces suit that he wears shows off his perfectly sculpted body. I can't fully see his face from my position, but his posture looks serious as he reads some documents that seem to come from the high piles of papers towering on his desk. Occasionally, he will examine some files on his computer screen before signing certain documents.

Standing there quietly, I savor the rare chance that allows me to observe him as he works. I have been in his office a few times, mostly waiting for him. But I have never seen him work before. He prefers to keep me away from his business and I have never got the interest to poke on his affairs. Well, unless you consider taking photos of his illegal activities as poking on his business affairs. But you get what I mean, right? I am just not interested to take any part in his loaded business, both legal and illegal.

Giving a quick glance at the clock on the wall, I am sure he must have worked for more than 12 hours by now. But his body doesn't slouch, his posture looks as elegant as ever, his hair is still perfect, and none of his clothes are out of place. Hell, where does he get his stamina to work long hours and still come home and do rounds and rounds of sex afterwards? Has the man ever feel tired in his life like any other normal human? Because I have never seen him genuinely tired before.

And he looks even sexier being all serious like this. Even I can feel the power that radiates from him as he works inside this room, most probably deciding the fate of those commoners that are living in the real world hundreds of meters below him. His choices may affect millions of other people and businesses and maybe even countries. And that much power must have some kind of effect on someone. For Asami, it makes him looks crazily hot.

The man is incredibly sexy I feel like licking his body all over. I stare at his well-defined jaw and the shape of his masculine shoulder and his-

"Enjoying the view, Akihito?" he disturbs my train of thought without looking away from the paper he reviews. Does the man also have another set of eyes at his back that I don't know about?

But I don't take my eyes away from the tempting skin on his neck when I answers, "Yes, I am. The view from here is quite stunning."

I expect him to mock my lame answer, but his cold reply sends another pang of disappointment to my shattered pride.

"It is late. Go find Kirishima so he can send you to your apartment. I still have work to do."

His stony order confirms my suspicion that he is indeed angry with me. Most probably due to the public display of affection Arata showed him during our last incidental meeting. God, has it been only a little more than two weeks since that night? I feel like it has been forever since then.

"That isn't fair, Asami! You are the one who forces this arrangement and now you are mad because you can't face the consequences?!" I yell at him without thinking. My voice raises its volume a few decibels higher with every words that come out of my mouth.

He stills before he slowly puts down his paper works and turns around to face me. I am so upset; I walk so fast towards him, thinking of shaking his shoulders or doing something as a proof of my irritation. But when I finally stand in front of him, hands shaking from annoyance, I can't think clearly and I just pour whatever thoughts passing my brain without filtering any of it first.

"You came to me out of nowhere, practically blackmailing me into accepting this arrangement we have, and suddenly you want an out because you can't stand your own decision?! Stop playing with my feelings, you old bastard!"

"And what do you actually feel, Akihito?" his calm question halts my next accuse.

His fingers are crossed in front of his stomach as he relaxes into his chair. He tilts his head and continues, "Come on, Akihito. You fight me yet you enjoy my touch. You always think you are the victim, don't you? You act like I threaten you to do everything that we do. But that door into my office isn't even locked right now. And here you are, still standing in front of me even when I am willing to send you away. Why do you think is that?"

And I don't have any reply to his simple question. My mouth hangs open as I tried to find the right response. What can I say?

_'Because I still love you even if you are such an annoying bastard_'?

'_Because every time I find out that you are still alive, I feel so much relief even though I have promised over and over again not to think or care about you anymore'_?

_'Because I want so much to grow old with you but it is better to see you growing old without me if it means you can stay alive longer'_?

In the end, I know I act so selfishly. Somewhere during our relationship years a go, I realized that the most important thing for me was Asami. I just wanted him to be well and happy. I told myself that it eas enough for me and that I wouldn't ask for anything more. Yet, here I stand in the middle of this mess between us, dragging even Arata into the chaos.

Feeling defeated, I look at anywhere else so he can't see the guilt and uncertainty that must be shown on my eyes. But he seizes me on my waist and forces me to straddle him on his chair. He grabs my chin roughly so that I have to look at him in the eyes while he grounds our quickly hardened cocks together, "Why don't you push me away seriously instead of reacting so eagerly if this is only a blackmailing case, Akihito?"

As his other hand slowly moves down to the crease of my ass, I gasp nervously in anticipation. He presses his lips on me. Or at least, he moves closer towards me that I thought he is going to kiss me so I close my eyes. But he stops a few millimeters away from my face. His steady breaths warm my lips and after a few seconds without anything else happens, I open my right eye to peek. He smirks at me with a knowing look.

"Do you want me to kiss you so badly that you close your eyes, Akihito?" He doesn't even bother to hide the amusement in his voice.

I can feel warmth decorating my cheeks as I realize what he is doing. Embarrassed with my own behavior, I fight him back, wanting to get away. But he just holds me there, unmoved even slightly with my struggle, nuzzling my neck with butterfly kisses.

"Stop it, Asami! I am still mad at you, you know!" I shout at him while trying to avoid his sweet assaults.

He bursts into laugh at my fury, "And I thought you said I am the one who is mad at you. Enlighten me, Akihito, who is actually mad at who?"

I pout at his annoying comment. "Well, I don't care whoever it is that starts this in the beginning. Now I am the one who is mad at you, okay?!"

"Of course, my dear Akihito," he just dismissed my wrath lightly on purpose, "Whatever you want to believe."

It has been a long time since the last time I need to seriously exchange blows with my words and it seems my ability to make a quick sarcastic reply has decreased tremendously. Arata isn't one who likes to argue and we have never got a long quarrel before. One of us will usually give in so the other will cool down immediately. But of course, Asami won't do something like that. He will happily rile me until I am mad beyond words and then fuck me like there is no tomorrow. Forget about discussing it like two mature adults, sex is his solution for all problems in a relationship.

So, I am literally speechless when he releases me easily after taking a light kiss on my lips. If this is his newest idea of being mad, it is definitely infuriating. Instead of taking my leave like he obviously wants me to do, I throw my punch to smack him on the face. But he just catches my blow effortlessly and pulls me back roughly towards him. My chest rests on his. His breaths are warm on my skin.

"I let you go but you didn't do it. Don't complain later saying that I didn't give you the chance to escape this situation, Akihito," his whisper is low and heavy on my ear before he licks my earlobe seductively. I can feel his hard cock against the ring of my ass as my own cock hardens even more at the husky sound of his voice.

He kisses me hard and deep, sucking my tongue so expertly in a way that he knows I love so much. I feel hundreds of butterflies fluttering inside my stomach as my hands grope him wherever I can reach: his strong chest, his flat abs, his arms, his back, his thighs, and then rushly move toward his cock. Anger fuels our desperate touches and kisses and I think I can't get out of my clothes any faster as he slides my pants down. Once I am naked, I quickly grab his belts, rushing to get his cock out for me to enjoy. My mouth waters as I can already feel the wonderful taste of his cock on my tongue. But he slaps my hands away.

Instead, he holds my wrists together in front of me with one hand and opens his drawer with the other. Asami quickly takes a metal handcuffs from the drawer and before I can utter a word of protest, he puts it around my wrists. When he pushes me down so that I kneel between his knees in the space under his desk, I grumble at being manhandled. But trapped with wood in all three directions and his legs guarding my only way out, I decide to stop my struggle. Fine, if this will fix things between us, why not playing along?

He smiles smugly as I try my best to get his belt free with my bound hands. But before I can do much with his belt, the door opens and Haruka's smooth voice comes from a place that I can't see.

"Asami-sama, Honda-san and Takagi-san from Hayashi Consulting Group are here for your next meeting, Kirishima-san is keeping them company at this moment." she pauses, for sure noticing my scattered clothes all around, before she continues politely, "Should I ask them to wait for the next an hour or so until you are ready to receive them?"

The moment I hear her mentioning Arata and his company's name, my blood freeze. Warmth leaves my body and cold is the only thing I can feel as panic floods me. I have decided to talk honestly with Arata about everything, but I don't have a plan for him to find it out like this. It will be just too cruel.

I try to get out, but Asami holds me in place. His hand pushes me back down as he answers Haruka, "No, tell them to come in now. Clean the office a bit, though, we don't want to be disrespectful towards them."

"Shit, Asami. Stop this, you bastard! What are you trying to do?!"

I can't see Haruka (or anything else but Asami who sits calmly in front of me, in fact), but I am sure she obediently bows as she replies, "Of course, Asami-sama."

I hear the soft rustles that must come from Haruka picking and folding my clothes neatly. The idea of her touching my underwear makes me blush. But considering it was Kirishima who trained her personally, she may as well remain stoic as she folds her boss' secret lover's underwear.

"Asami, release me. I will just leave. There is no need for me to be here if you have a meeting," I try to reason with him.

But he ruthlessly replies, "In case you forget, Akihito, I did give you a chance to leave earlier. But you didn't take it. And I told you not to complain later."

"You didn't tell me that you will have a meeting with Arata!" I whisper through my gritted teeth, afraid that Arata will somehow hear me through all the walls and doors.

"Trivial details," he waves his hand in a dismissing gesture. Just forget about the idea of him dying from smokes or drinks or vigorous sex. I will kill him faster than nicotine, alcohol and sex combined at this rate.

"Asami, please. I am sorry, okay? Whatever that makes you mad, I am sorry. Just, please, don't do this to him. He doesn't deserve this," I finally beg his mercy. My heart beats like crazy and I start to feel suffocated.

But Asami notices my distress. "Take a deep breath slowly, Akihito," he orders me.

He runs his hand through my hair, brushes his finger on my cheeks, and pets me softly. His rough palm feels warm on my cold skin and the reassuring pressure calms me down a bit. He keeps his movement constant and steady, careful not to stress me more with any sudden move. I struggle hard to take deep and slow breaths as he ordered me to do until my heart doesn't race a hundred miles per hour inside its cage anymore.

Noticing the changes, he praises me, "Good boy. That's it. Keep breathing slowly."

We stay like that for a moment longer until I manage to calm myself. Once the panic attack is over, I look up at him and try to bargain once again, "Asami, why do you want to do this anyway?"

He looks at me intensely but his hand keeps soothing me in a steady movement. When I think that he won't answer my question and I open my mouth to keep arguing, he simply says, "Because, Akihito, when I ask people to jump, they do ask, 'how high?' with no further question. You, however, are always a predictable exception."

I stare at him as he moves me closer to his legs, encouraging me to rest my head on his knee. His arrogance annoys me to no end. But what stops me to shot whatever argument that is already at the tip of my tongue is realizing that he repeats what I told Kirishima and Suoh this afternoon. So, is this all a trap because he believes he can predict whatever I do? My pride forces me not to do as he expects me to do at this moment. Besides, I don't think he will take anything I say seriously at this moment considering my condition. Let's leave it until later, when I am not kneeling naked at his feet with my hands bound by real handcuffs. For now, I grumbly lean to his strong thigh, finding what little comfort I can get from his body warmth.

A short moment later, I can hear the door opens and the sounds of Kirishima announcing the guests arrival with a clear voice, "Asami-sama, Honda-san and Takagi-san from Hayashi Consulting Group are here."

Asami doesn't stand from his seat to greet his guests. He merely waves towards them to allow them to take a seat. His other hand is hidden from his guests' eyes as he keeps soothing me with comforting caresses. And when they start a boring discussion about Asami's newest acquisition in the middle east and their latest success, I yawn and slowly close my eyes. I have no idea how Asami stays sane after discussing about these dreary stuffs day after day. If it were me, I must have gone crazy already.

That is when my phone rings loudly from behind the room divider. The ring tone is one I specially set for Kou and Takato, that eerie song from One Missed Call. It is a joke between us; one that Arata knows pretty well because Kou has repeated the story multiple times for him. Kou must have finished his work so he calls me as I asked him to do this morning. But once Arata hears the familiar yet uncommon ring tone, he immediately stops his sentence in the middle of his report to Asami. Just like how my breath stops as I hold onto Asami with newly awakened fear, hoping that I can somehow stop my phone from announcing my secret aloud.


	6. Chapter 6 Letting You Go

**Chapter 6. Letting You Go**

**Part 1. Letting You Go (Part 1)**

Our apartment is quite by the time I came back home the next morning. From the kitchen, I can hear Arata hums as he prepares breakfast. I put my backpack down and walk slowly towards the delicious smell of omelets that fills the entire rooms. It is not only the pain which shots from my lower back that stops me from moving too fast, but also the burden in my heart knowing what will happen between us soon.

Arata moves around the kitchen wearing T-shirt and shorts. He scratches his stomach and from below his shirt, I can see his slightly fattened stomach. He starts to gain more weight sometime last year but he doesn't have enough time to do some exercise to burn the calories off. I guess it comes with age. His hair is still messy from sleep but for the first time in the last few weeks, he looks fresh. I sigh. At least, one of us has enough sleep to be able to talk with some sense.

"Hey," I greet him softly.

He turns around and instantly smiles when he sees me. But as soon as he notices my gloomy face, he stops.

"Aki, love, is something wrong? I came home last night but you weren't here and your phone is turned off. So, I guess you were in the middle of work. Did you manage to get any photo for your project?" he asks.

I look at the man who has been my steady mountain for more than two years. Sadness fills my heart. It is not that I don't love him anymore. Maybe it is not the passionate love that we had before, but I still care so deeply for him. And it is because I care for him that I can't stand to keep hurting him behind his back. Shaking my head, I answer, "I quit the project yesterday. Couldn't stand that jerk Yamada anymore."

He instantly turns the stove off and moves to comfort me, "Oh, Aki, I am so sorry to hear that."

I stops him quickly, "It is okay. A friend offered me another freelance job a few days a go, but I refused because I am still working in that stupid project. Now that I am free, I have contacted him to accept it," I pause as he looks back at me in worry before I continue, "So, it seems you finally finished your project."

His face immediately brightens as he explains, "Ah, yes, we get a week off before we continue with the project. It seems Asami-sama is quite satisfied with the result." He pauses and tilts his head, "Which reminds me, I heard the same freaky ringtone that you set for Kou and Takato last night during my meeting with Asami-sama. I almost laughed aloud when I heard it because I instantly remembered Kou's story. Lucky, I could stop before I embarrassed myself in front of Asami-sama."

I give him a solemn grin. Yeah, it was very lucky. If it were not because of Asami amazing composure, I would have jumped from where I hid and blabbed every excuse I could find. Of course, Asami, being the great Asami, doesn't even blink, his hand moved steadily to pet my back while he kept me down. He merely asked Kirishima whose phone disturbed his meeting in annoyance and ordered the man to find it and turn it off, grumbling under his breath that one of _those dumb useless_ _girls_ must have left it there. I silently scowl when I remember those words.

Arata chuckles at the thought as he moves to make tea. I don't say anything since at that point my heartbeat has increased drastically. But tea is a good idea. It will calm my nerve. So I open the drawer where we keep our cups and take two out.

For a while, no one says anything else until we bring our tea into the living room. I sip my own tea when he suddenly says, "Anyway, it seems a girl left it there. Later, Honda-san bet with me that it must be Asami-sama's lover's phone, the ringtone doesn't match Asami-sama's image or any of his-"

He stops as I choke with my own tea. I cough to clear my nose and he rubs my back gently.

"Aki, you shouldn't drink too fast," he chastises me.

I can only nod without replying. He looks at me while soothing my coughing with more pets on my shoulder. When I finally calm down a bit, he continues softly, "Talking about lover, I am very sorry, but it seems I can't celebrate your birthday with you."

His eyes are filled with worry when he observes my reaction to the news. But after rounds and rounds of Asami fucking me without mercy last night, I don't have the strength to pretend surprised. I am so tired. '_I know, Arata_', I want to say, '_and it is okay, it is not your fault. If any is at fault, it is me_'.

I can still remember vividly Asami's face as he told Arata to leave Japan a day before my birthday for the next project. His damned smug grin and icy golden eyes decorated his handsome face.

_"Is there anything else that is more important than this, Takagi-san?" Asami asked arrogantly when Arata sounded hesitate to agree. The bastard smirked since he already knew the answer even before he asked. I knew Arata has asked for leave a long time a go, planning to spend my birthday together with me. It is not fair for Asami to push him like this._

_Having limited options to deliver my anger discreetly, I pinched Asami's thigh as hard as I can. It must be hurt. But Asami just raised his brow at me for a brief moment. Tapping his forefinger at the tip of my nose, he silently warned me before giving his guest his full attention once again. _

_"Asami-sama, of course not, your project is our top priority. We will-," Arata's colleague tried to answer. But Asami stopped him short._

_"I don't remember asking you, Honda-san," he coldly said, "So, Takagi-san, is there anything else that is more important than my business which stop you from giving your full effort?"_

_There was a long silence before I heard Arata said, "No, Asami-sama, this project is my top priority." His voice is sharp without doubt. And I close my eyes in defeat. Asami's message is clear. Hell, the whole situation is clear by now. This explained the long hour Arata worked for Asami's project. The bastard did this on purpose._

_Now I noticed how every time something happened, Arata would need to work long hours to the point where it is simply madness. Arata had to work like crazy not because Asami needed him or because Arata wanted it like that. I was the reason. I did something, Asami wouldn't be happy, and it was Arata who paid the price. How messed up everything can be?_

_Asami might rather die than to admit the truth, but his jealousy is very obvious to me. And a jealous Asami was as dangerous as letting a starving lion in a city full of defenseless people. These relationships were unhealthy for everyone involved. It was another sign to end this before Arata ended up death at Tokyo bay. Because sooner or later, Asami would realize that however he named our relationships, he still needed to share if he wanted to continue this charade._

"Aki?" Arata voice wakes me up from my daydreaming.

Slowly, I look at his sweet eyes. I take a deep breath before I say all my carefully planned words in a rush speed, "I am sorry, Arata. I can't continue our relationship anymore. It is not your fault. It is mine. I don't think I can..., " I stop when I lost all my practiced words as I see Arata's shock face.

I decide not to give any more explanations. Right now, everything I say will sound like an excuse to defense myself. So, I just touch his hand softly before I manage to whisper, "I am truly sorry, Arata."

* * *

><p>I open the penthouse's door with my foot because my hands are full with grocery bags. I always buy some every time I come home. But the fridge must be empty by now. Asami doesn't bother to have homemade dinner. Unless I cook, he prefers to eat outside. More practical, he said. It is just not healthy, in my opinion. He should take better care of his health.<p>

I snort at my own thought. And he always complains that I don't take care of myself, always putting myself in danger, blah blah blah. Huh, he should talk to the mirror. I am not the one who smokes, drinks liquor instead of eating proper meals, and practically works almost 24/7 non-stop.

After putting my shopping bags on the kitchen counter, I send a quick message to him, '_I m going to make dinner, what time will u be home tonight?_'

I am not sure whether he knows I am at home or not. I saw one of his men outside and I know some more have been following me around discreetly for the last few weeks. But I don't think they will report to him for this kind of petty matters.

His reply comes a few minutes later, '_Let you know in an hour._'

Kirishima's message comes a minute after that, '_Brat, do me a favor and give me a few days notice the next time you want to come home. I can't do magic, you know. And I definitely need some magic to clear Asami-sama's schedule tonight. How long do you plan to stay home this time, anyway?_'

I laugh at his scolding until I realize what he just said. '_...if you want to come home_'? Is that what going back to his penthouse is to me? Coming home? It gives me a shock to admit how true it is. Even when I come back here the first time after three years, I can't help but feeling relief that there isn't much change in our home. I am not sure how I would react should I found any trace from other people beside Asami and I here.

Well, it is another confusing stuff that I need to contemplate more. But for now, I reply Kirishima, _'Oh come on, Kirishima-san. I know u secretly hide some special power. Otherwise you won't survive working for the bastard for so long. Besides it is just 2 days. I have assignment in Osaka the day after tmrw. So I m thinking to stay here until then._'

He doesn't reply anymore until I finish putting the chicken into boiling water.

'_I ll see what I can do. Next time, at least tell ME first! I can keep my mouth shut if you want to give him surprise. What I can't do is re-arranging his schedule at the last minute. Got it, brat?_'

I smile. Kirishima is just like a mother hen. He keeps complaining but he will do it anyway. Sometimes I wonder whether there is anything he won't do for Asami.

'_Got it. Really truly thanks, Kirishima. U are the best!_' I send the message quickly. But a few seconds later, I decide to send him another one. I really want to know.

'_Is he happy?_'

Kirishima's reply comes fast.

_'Define 'happy'. If what you mean by happy is that he is giggling and jumping around like a little girl, he definitely isn't. And he won't, I dare to bet. But he just gave Suoh and I a full night off. He smugly SUGGESTED that WE need to get laid and relax once in a while. YOU conclude yourself, boy. YOU r not stupid. Now, shut up and let me do my work. He looks at me suspiciously because I keep texting u. I prefer my head to stay where it is._'

Oooh, I totally miss bantering with Kirishima about that bastard.

* * *

><p>Mariko works for a cleaning agency with clients from the high-class society. The payment is quite good and it helps to pay her husband's debt. But heaven knows how those rich people make such a mess with their houses. Sometimes, she doesn't even want to know where all those suspicious liquid comes from.<p>

That day she is scheduled to clean a few luxurious apartments in the area. She is puzzled to see Akihito there and almost calls him out. She knows that Akihito and her brother lives quite far from there. Then she sees the grocery bag and how Akihito greets in a familiar manner a bulky bodyguard whom she recognizes from her past experience cleaning a few apartments in the same building. Not that she knows the bodyguard's name or anything. But she has seen him every time she comes to the lavish apartment building.

So, instead of calling her brother's boyfriend, her instinct tells her to follow him quietly. It is not a difficult task considering she has a cleaning job in the same building. No one notices anything strange when she enters the building or when she flashes her employment ID to the receptionist. But when she arrives in the lift area, she is surprised beyond words. Akihito calmly enters a private lift that she knows will access the one and only penthouse on the top floor. How does Akihito get the access to that kind of place? Moreover, why does he need to bring grocery there?

She can't follow Akihito then since her access card doesn't grant her entry to the penthouse. But she can't shake the feeling that something is definitely wrong here. So, as soon as she is done with her work for the day, she decides to wait for Akihito at the coffee shop across the building. She knows that Akihito may already leave when she is busy at work. But she still wants to give it a shot.

Akihito doesn't come out no matter how long she waits. And she considers the idea of calling everything off. It may be just a coincidence. Akihito must have some reasons to do whatever it is he is doing. And it is none of her business. From all these two years she knows the man, Akihito has showed her and her family that he is a good man. Moreover, he takes a good care of Arata. And for her, that is a good enough reason to leave Akihito alone.

But at this moment, her gut tells her differently. So she calls Arata to meet her in the coffee shop after work. When her brother enters the place, she waves at him to get his attention. He gives a gesture that tells her he is going to buy some drinks first before he comes to her table. She nods.

She notices that her brother looks a bit messy. There is a dark circle under his eyes. Does he get enough sleep?

"So, what are you doing in this area, nee-san? And why do we have to meet here? Everything is just much more expensive around here. This coffee's price is even double the usual one I buys every morning," Arata complains.

She doesn't know what she is going to say to Arata. She can't accuse his boyfriend based on feeling without any proof, can she? She doesn't even know what kind of crime Akihito does, if there is any.

"I just had cleaning works here. And we haven't talked much recently so I thought we could chat. I miss you, you know. You are so busy lately with works you haven't even called me. I see Akihito more than you." She neutrally answers.

Arata look at her and slowly sips his coffee. "Guilty as charged," he shows his palm in a surrender gesture. Sorrow fills his face.

"Arata, what's happen? You look sad," she asks.

Her brother sighs before he puts his cup down. "It is okay. Aki and I just had some arguments. I guess he doesn't like my long hour works. But don't worry, nee-san. I am sure he will cool down soon. He can be very stubborn when he is mad," he explains.

Her heart starts to race in her chest. "When did that happen? And where is Akihito now?"

Her brother relaxes more into the comfortable chair as he replies, "It was a few days a go. He spent the last few days at his friend's place. But I am sure he should left for Osaka by today. Kou keeps me discreetly informed, actually. He is very supportive about our relationship. By the time Aki come back, he will be calm already and we both can talk with a cool head."

She tries to keep her face calm. She prides herself for her poker face. But it is hard to keep her cool when it involves her brother. She sips her own coffee to hide her nervousness before she confirms, "His friend told you that he already left this morning to Osaka? Do you know where his friend lives?"

Arata absent-mindedly answers while adding more sugar to his cup, "Yups, Kou texted me that Akihito left his apartment this morning, saying that he has assignment at Osaka. Kou lives near our apartment. That is why I don't feel worry to let him stay with Kou until he cools down. If anything happens, I can always come to him quickly, " he pauses for a while when he notices Mariko's concern, "Don't worry, nee-san. Akihito is always hotheaded. But once he cools down, we are going to be okay."

She just nods at her brother's assurance. She truly hopes that he is right. But somehow she can feel that the storm is coming to her brother's life. Whatever it is, she won't let her little brother be drowned in it.

What Mariko doesn't notice in her worry is a pretty girl who keeps following her around the whole day since Mariko started following Akihito. That girl now sits quietly in the corner of the coffee shop, observing Mariko and Arata as she sips her own apple juice. Juices are good for her baby. Her rival's death is also good for her baby. And she will do whatever good for her baby.

She knows that she can't do something rush to the boy or his man over there. It will be too obvious and she doesn't want Asami-sama to notice her moves. Disturbing the boy or his man may alert Asami-sama. That woman, however, is definitely not under Asami-sama's protection. She is too old and way too plain for her master's taste. But Emi has a feeling that this woman who is now talking with the man she has seen together with that boy could be her ticket to get more information. What she needs is a plan. And making a plan is her specialty.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. Letting You Go (Part 2)<strong>

"Ahhh, I am so full."

I lay my head on Asami's lap as he sits on the luxurious leather sofa in the living room. The huge flat screen TV is on but muted. Asami takes a sip from his glass of whiskey while slowly brushing my hair with his other hand. Taking his fresh masculine smell into my lung, I close my eyes and wish that this moment could stay forever. _But nothing last forever, Akihito_, I warn myself.

"How's work?" He asks, his hand plays with my bangs.

I sigh. Somehow I can predict our conversation will end in a more serious topic. "Ah, I quit a full-time project I took before. But I am sure you already know by now? Oh, but Sato-san, she was my partner in that project, called me a few days a go. It seems the chief got injured or something. Gossips said that he crossed the wrong person. I am not surprised, though. With his personality, it will happen sooner or later. Well, I don't like him, but I still feel bad for him. Anyway, Sato-san said that someone replaced him and asked whether I want to go back to the project or not. But I already took another project," I know I blab. But I can't help it. I am so nervous.

"Hmm," he murmurs noncommittally.

I peek at him and our eyes lock with each other's. From my point of view on his lap, his body looks even more gorgeous. He just wears his bathrobe, hairs still wet from shower, chest glistens with clean sweat; he is sexy as fuck. I take a deep breath to calm my increasing heartbeat. I have decided that, one way or another, we are going to discuss our issues today.

"Do you ever want to have a child?" I suddenly blurt. My eyes never leave his.

Whatever he expects me to say, this one is obviously not it. But he hasn't run to the hill for his life. So, I guess, it is a good sign. He just pauses for a while before answering my question.

"No," he simply says as he takes another sips of his whiskey. I wait for him to tell me more, but he keeps quite. I already know that he doesn't really like children. He once said that they are too noisy and annoying. He had enough in his plate with one troublemaker brat, he said mockingly years back. But this confirmation still breaks my heart. I keep my cool, though.

"How many other lovers do you have?" I continue as I slowly move to straddle him.

My next question makes him raising his eyebrow. "What is this, Akihito? Are you trying to interrogate me?" he smirks with amusement dancing in his eyes.

I tilt my head as if I consider my answer for a while, dragging my thumb leisurely on his lower lips. My other hand moves to grab a certain toy that I have hidden previously. "Well, why not? You know, it is like role-playing. I capture you. You are my captive. Now I ask you question and you will answer." The tips of my fingers trace his chest muscles. I like the way his muscles react to my ghostly touches. It makes me want to lick him all over.

His eyes lit with excitement, "And if I don't want to answer?"

I move closer until I can feel his warm breath on my lips. Bringing his hand together behind his back seductively, I return his smirk, "Then maybe I should torture you to get the answer that I want." And I put the toy I have hidden on his wrist. He tries to look through his shoulder, but the cuffs prevent him from doing much.

"I can break this crap easily," he mocks smugly.

I roll my eyes and pout, "Of course, you can. I am not stupid. That is just a toy. Not everyone has access to the real handcuffs like you, bastard. I just want to build the mood, so don't you dare to break them. Geez, have you ever role-playing before? Oh, no, of course you haven't. You will just do everything so seriously and so over the top. Maybe you will appreciate it more if I brought the real cuffs, after all." I wave my hand around in angry exaggeration.

He chuckles at my sulking, "Fine. Let's play your game. But I need to warn you. I can be quite hard to crack." He rests back to sit more comfortably.

I grin, "Well, maybe other people are just trying way too hard to crack you. Maybe they just need to take the gentler approach." I continue my slow exploration on his body. Right now, I am towering over him with my knees on each side of his thighs, "So, how many other lovers do you have?"

He leans the back of his head on the top of the sofa and looks up at me, smirking. "_'Other lovers'_, Akihito? So, we agree now that you are my lover?"

Oh, trying to distract my attention, isn't he? I bow down and bite his left nipple playfully. Hard. And I can hear his breath stops for a very short moment. It is extremely subtle and I won't even notice should I haven't learnt all sign his body gives when he is turned on over all these years.

I grind my ass against his hard cock. "I ask the question. You answer it. Are we clear?" My tongue licks his abused nub to sooth it.

His pleased laugh is deep and it makes his chest vibrates in a very nice way. So I rest my cheek on it, nuzzling.

"If this is your idea of torturing, Akihito, people will start to queue to get tortured."

I shrug innocently, "Violence is way too overrated." My hand makes small circle on his skin, massaging his inner thighs. I lazily make my way down, biting and licking alternatively along the way. Once I kneel between his legs, I open the knot of his bathrobe tie with my teeth, resting both my hands on his powerful thighs. He doesn't wear anything under his robe, and his erection stands proudly in front of my face.

"How many, Asami?" I look up at him as I wait for him to answer. My tongue is ready to lick his arousal. And as the musky smell of his masculinity fills my nose, I can feel my own arousal pools in my groin.

He suddenly jolts his hips so his cock briefly touches my tongue and I move back in surprise. That jerk! Does he really understand what role-play is?

But when I glare angrily at him, he simply closes his eyes and leans his head back to relax. He obviously decides that it is not a bad idea to let me pleasure him this way so he will play along and just enjoy my teasing. I am sure not many people can sit almost naked, with their hard cock displayed in clear view and hands cuffed at the back, and still manage to looks like they are god waiting for his humble servant to bow down and worship him.

"None," he replies shortly.

His answer makes me freeze for a few seconds. I look up at him, but he still closes his eyes, ignoring my disbelief.

In shock, even I forget my role and mutter in my usual tone, "Then where do you stay every time I am not here?" The question is out before my brain can process my mistake. And I can see that he realizes it as well from the broad smile that appears in his smug face.

"You are jealous, Akihito," he says calmly with eyes still closed.

I automatically scowl at his words. I am ready to shout, 'I am not!' but manage to stop myself. _Calm down, Akihito, don't let him destroy your pace._ I take his huge cock into my mouth, putting it in slowly until the head throbs at the back of my throat. I hum and I can hear his subtle gasp as he feels the vibration I create. I keep sliding in and out, using my tongue whenever there is room to do that. Taking my time to swallow his cock as deep as possible like how he likes to do to me, my hand rolls his balls gently.

I can hear his breaths get heavier. And when I rest one of my hands on his lower arm to get a better position, I feel all his muscles there tighten in an effort to keep his own hands from breaking free so he can grab my head to make me move faster. I am touched that he keeps his words to play along. So when his cock fills my whole mouth, I swallow hard, massaging the bulging head of his erection with my throat.

He growls. His voice is coarse when he rasps, "Everywhere, Akihito. Everywhere else is better if you are not here. There isn't your scent, your noisy voice, your scattered stuffs; everything about this place looks, sounds, and feels wrong without you here."

His honesty strikes me harder than any punch and for a while, we just look at each other in silence. Arousal is totally forgotten for now.

"Why don't you move out then?" I ask softly, my voice is full with emotion.

He shakes his head in a sad gesture but doesn't say anything else. Shit, and I thought before that there is no way to address him and sadness in the same sentence. I close my eyes to get a better grip of my feelings that threaten to spiral wild any time now.

"Yet, you let me go." Somehow, I feel the urge to put the blame on him.

"I did. You may not remember it well, Akihito. But after the Russia incident, your condition is quite bad. You kept crying, fighting, and trying to get away. Not that you haven't fight or run away before. But you don't cry like that, ever. I tried to talk with you, asking what trouble you so much. But you didn't explain, only saying that what we have is not normal. And when you didn't get any better, I decide to let you go. At least, for a while. Some sort of post-traumatic syndrome, the doctor explained."

I stares at him. I don't really remember the details after the incident. But still. I remember thinking that he doesn't understand, that he might be killed because of me one day. Or that I might be killed and he will go into crazy revenge. Even until now, I still have the same worry every time it concerns him.

"It hurts to see that as soon as you left, your condition improves. Slowly at first, but it becomes faster as time goes. Especially after you meet that Takagi boy," he explains and emotionlessly smirks at me. The amusement that usually accompany his smirk doesn't reach his eyes as he continues "Indeed, violence is way too overrated, Akihito. Because I thought any kind of physical pain will be much better than seeing your candid photos day after day with admiration for another man in your eyes in every pose possible."

His voice is flat and cold, like he is reading a financial report to me. Like he doesn't give a fuck about all this. Like I can't hurt him anymore than this and whatever I do doesn't matter to him.

But I know better. Not that he ever laid all his honest emotions in the open between us. Not like this. There is always a thin layer of facade for us before. He uses his calmness and lustful charade to hide his love. And I always hide behind denial and stubborn pretense. So, it is not like I have seen him baring all his feelings before. But, somehow I just know that it actually does matter for him and it still hurts him, even after all this years. It is funny that it doesn't take a single bullet to hurt the great Asami Ryuichi.

"I am sorry." What else can I say?

He closes his eyes and rests his head back.

"It is not your fault. After some time, I take it as a lesson; a warning that I am not strong enough to protect you. Yet. But, now? Now, I am stronger than ever. No one in all five continents dares to disturb me unless they want to make war. And I take other precautions steps as well to distract any unwanted attention from you," he pauses to open his eyes, looking at me, "But I still can't guarantee that everything will be fine. Unfortunately, there is no such guarantee in my world. So, I give you an escape plan. A back up."

I hold my breaths as I start seeing his reason.

"...Arata?"

He scowls when he hears the name like it is a snake that will kill him with its venom. But then, he sighs and nods.

"I saw him and you together and what I saw is an opportunity to create a safety net for you. He doesn't know anything. I checked his background, his family profile, and everything that is related with him. He is clean. He can be your cover. Should something ever happen to me, you can still have the normal life you wants with him. I have set up enough fund for you and as many children as you want in the future to live in complete luxury for the next seven generations. I prepared it with enough precautions steps to make sure that there should be no problem for you to make the claim. Yes, I know you want children, Akihito," he leers at my shock, "What? You want to have a kid with me, Akihito? You want to raise your kid with a criminal, no matter how powerful he is, and let the child lives in danger every day for the rest of his or her life? Is that what you want for your children? That Takagi dog is so naive beyond stupidity but his ignorance fits his purpose. He doesn't know anything about the darker side of the world that I am sure he can give you the normal life you have always wanted. And as long as people see you with him in public places, they won't think that you are related with me in any way. Everyone knows I don't share."

I am speechless. "And you still don't share."

He sighs tiredly, "I also don't like children. But sometimes, couples just have to make compromise. I thought it is normal?"

"So, Arata is merely a collateral damage for you. Someone you sacrifice to get what you want."

He looks at me intensely before he answers coldly, "I will sacrifice him and everything else for your safety and happiness, yes."

I close my eyes and try to rein my emotion, preparing myself for what I am going to say next, but it is hard. When I open my eyes again, I am shock. For the first time since I met him, the great Asami Ryuichi looks so tired. So defeated. This man does everything he can to ensure my safety and happiness. He is ready to sacrifice (or maybe already has!) his own safety, his own needs, his own pride, his own happiness, and even his own desires. For me. To the point he doesn't know what else to do.

Apparently, behind the multilayers of strength and wealth, Asami Ryuichi is just another man. Madly powerful, yes. Impossibly rich, yes. Damned evil, most probably. But still, just a man. He hurts like every other man on earth, and bleeds like one.

And he said he is hard to crack.

Good Lord, if you are truly out there, let me rot in the deepest of the seventh hell for there is nothing that can save me from my sins. Especially, the sins that I am going to commit now.

I take a deep breath, and in a calm voice and steady gaze I tell him the only truth that I know, "And I will sacrifice him and everything else for yours."

* * *

><p>Asami runs his fingers through the light brown strands, enjoying the smooth feelings of Akihito's silky hair. His boy sleeps naked on top of him. His head rests peacefully on Asami's strong torso as the older lover caresses his slim back. The steady heartbeats calm Asami in a way that he never thinks possible before. The damp and warm skin reminds him of their mind-blowing sex.<p>

Asami stops himself at that very word. No, not sex. They didn't have sex. They made love. He has never thought about the difference up until tonight. Sex is what he does with those whores that he has never got any feeling for. It is merely something he does to satisfy his basic needs. Like a starving man who will eat anything just to survive, regardless the taste.

What he does with Akihito, though, is always a totally different experience. And tonight, it is even better. Unconsciously, he smiles at the memory of Akihito clinging desperately into his shoulders. Their sweaty bodies moved in a perfect sync, chest to chest, his cock deep inside his lover's ass. Their hungry mouths devour each other like two starving beasts. Tongues were busy sucking and licking. Hands groped and fondled everywhere. And everything else but his beloved partner faded out into the background.

His power. His wealth. His status. Everything became insignificant compared to this man in his embrace. Akihito is his everything. He focused his mind to observe his lover's behavior, detecting every little detail on how Akihito's lithe body responded so eagerly to his touches. He savored every whimper that came out of his lover's throat as his practiced hands massaged Akihito's manhood and stroked it with wild abandon.

"Ahh...," his young lover moaned wantonly, panted. And he felt his heart swelled with pride knowing that he was the only one who can make Akihito reacted like that. Oh yeah, he knew that really well. He once heard the secret sound recording between Akihito and that Takagi dog. He almost laughed at the voice Akihito created in that recording. It sounded so...shallow. He knew then that the dog would never satisfy his insatiable boy. But the knowledge still didn't stop the overwhelming pain that grew deep inside him. He never asked Kirishima to include any more recording both in video and sound in Akihito's daily report after that.

Tonight, however, Akihito was so uninhabited. The boy didn't even bother to pretend. He clearly showed how he enjoyed every kiss, every touch, and practically everything that Asami gave him. And Asami gladly rewarded his lover, showing his appreciation in a seamless combination of pain and pleasure that he knew Akihito loves so much. Besides, any kind of pretense at that point would just look shallow after what they had admitted to each other.

He could feel it when Akihito got so close to coming. His skin color blossomed into a beautiful shade of pink. His moan turned into pitiful sob. His movements became jerky. He started to beg Asami in uncompressible pleadings.

"Wait for me, Akihito," he commanded.

And Akihito almost shouted his frustration in tears. But his lover waited for him no matter how miserable he already is. The boy gripped his arms, holding for dear life as Asami shoved his huge erection hard into him. The powerful crime lord couldn't help but smirked at the sensation of Akihito's muscle swallowing his cock hungrily. If someone ever asked him where his home was, he would answer without hesitation that it was here, deep inside his lover's body.

"Oh..._aaah_!" Akihito exclaimed as Asami thrust into him. His lover's body arched like a bowstring in his excitement.

Asami closed his eyes, not stopping even for a heartbeat while he relished the bite Akihito gave him when the boy tried to hold his arousal back, hoping to extend that incredible moment they shared even for a second longer as the movement of Akihito's hips lost its finesse. Asami slammed into Akihito as deep as he could, loving the connection and the sexy sound their bodies created every time he thrust into his lover. Faster. Harder. Stronger.

It didn't take too long until he whispered in his young lover's ear, "Now, Akihito. Come with me, now."

When Akihito finally came right after his permission, the boy screamed his pleasure so loudly, letting Asami heard and felt it all through his release until they were both sated. He could feel Akihito's muscle twitched around his cock as his boy milked every last drop of cum from him. They stayed still for a long moment, Akihito rested on top of his body. But he didn't mind it at all. If it was one of those whores...he didn't even want to think about it. Not now. Not with how perfect everything was. It was then when he heard Akihito's voice, so soft that he almost missed it.

"I love you, Ryu. Always."

_I love you too, Akihito._ He bit back his reply and closed his eyes tight, trying his damned best to control the emotion that threatened to go wild. But it was even harder than when he had to keep his cool as his enemies put a gun on his chest and threatened to burrow a Teflon-coated bullet into his body when he just started his business.

Akihito's movement snaps him back from his lover snuggles to get more of his body warmth. Asami slowly moves Akihito so that the boy can sleep in a more comfortable position. But his lover insists on clinging onto him. People always think that Akihito is weak due to his lean body. Well, they are stupid for even thinking about that. Asami understands perfectly that if Akihito seriously fights him, he will have trouble restraining the boy. Akihito really knows how to fight and how to use his speed to defeat his opponent. Luckily, his lover always fights his embrace half-heartedly. Otherwise, he will need to take a more drastic measure to ensure the boy's obedience.

Watching his lover who sleeps so peacefully on top of him, he chuckles quietly at the irony. Ten years a go, if someone dare to tell him that he will fall so deeply in love with a brat more than ten years younger than him, moreover to let that brat turns him into a body pillow like this, he will surely explode that person's head for his or her stupid joke. And look at him now.

When he hears Akihito's breaths get deeper and steadier, he slowly releases himself from the boy's tight hold. Giving one more kiss on Akihito's forehead, he wears his robe and quietly walks out of the bedroom into another room that he uses as his home office.

Asami quickly lights a cigarette and pours himself a drink. Leaning into his mahogany desk, he enjoys the silent night breathing the nicotine with the incredible view displayed from the full wall window. His other hand holds a manila envelope Kirishima passed to him before he left for home today.

It is Emi's latest medical report. He furrows his brow at the thought of the girl. In the beginning he thought that the girl is the most similar one to Akihito. But as time goes on, he can see perfectly clear that the girl is completely different from his lover. He still can't be sure what the problem with the girl is, but he knows the girl hides something bad. It takes someone evil to recognize another evil one, he believes. Well, he will find it out sooner or later. And whatever evil the girl tries to hide, he is sure that it couldn't be more evil than him. He grins wickedly at his own thought.

For now, the girl will serve her purpose in his grand plan. It takes some time for his plan to give result but finally everything starts to come together. Kirishima doesn't think this will work, but obviously the man is wrong. He beams at the report. A child. His child. Akihito's future child. And the pregnancy is already 5 months old. He can't really believe it as he looks at Emi's photo that is included in the report. But the girl is always a bit small like his boy.

He can imagine Akihito's happiness when he informs the news a few months from now. His lover doesn't need to know the detail on how Asami gets the baby. Asami knows that the boy will melt immediately at the thought of having a child to complete his _normal_ life. And with his power and wealth, such a thing can be easily arranged. In fact, he is sure Kirishima has all the paperwork ready as soon as his perfect secretary receives the medical report from the doctor.

He doesn't understand Akihito's attachment with children. For him, they are nothing but the source of trouble. He can't even imagine holding his own child. Actually, that idea gives him a horrible shiver. But whatever makes his Akihito happy will be done. He has promised Akihito.

He carefully thinks back at his entire plan that he has worked on for the last three years. He has calculated every step, action and risk to ensure Akihito's happiness. But somehow, his instinct tells him that something will go wrong despite his perfect planning. And he has learnt to trust his instinct a long time a go. He sighs. Come what may. He will solve whatever problem later. It is stupid to shrink in fear for something that hasn't happened yet.

He seals the envelope back and put it inside his drawer before he locks it safely. It is time to get back to his lover. By now, Akihito will miss his warmth already. And Asami will happily provide it for him.

He has two days to enjoy the time with his lover before he needs to release the boy back to the world. But now, with his plan smoothly on the way, he still has a lifetime to share with Akihito. There is no need to rush. He smiles as he walks leisurely back to the embrace of his love.

* * *

><p>Kirishima is up and ready by the time he answers his phone. It is still dark outside. But sleep is forgotten as soon as he hears the specific ringtone he sets for Asami-sama. He lives in the same building with Asami-sama, he can be in the penthouse in a few minutes. He takes his Glock and put it in its holder. Giving a quick glance at his bedside clock, he notices that it is still 4 in the morning. He starts to worry, is something wrong?<p>

"Is there anything I can help, Asami-sama?" he immediately asks efficiently.

He scans his brain to remember Asami-sama's condition when he left his boss penthouse last night. His boss has been in a very good mood for the last two days. But this morning that brat will leave to Osaka. He remembers the boy told him that his partner in the project would pick him up early morning so they can grab some equipment first before taking the Shinkansen. Maybe his friend suddenly can't pick him up and Asami-sama wants Kirishima to drive the boy?

His boss' angry command, however, freezes Kirishima's blood.

"Find Akihito. Block the roads! Stops the trains! Close down the airport! Burn down the whole Tokyo for all I care! Just. Bring. Me. Back. My. Boy!"

And they do all of that. Well, they don't literally burn down the whole Tokyo, but it is close enough. They search for the whole day, the whole week, the whole month, but they can't find Takaba Akihito. Whatever the boy does to remove his trace is so good that Kirishima feels impressed. Not that he dares to say so to his boss. Asami-sama is in such a fury that Japan, no, let him correct it, _the whole world_ practically trembles at the crime lord's black mood though only him and Suoh know the real reason.

It seems the boy left the penthouse early morning, saying that his friend had picked him up. Having no suspicion, Asami-sama let him go. Until he woke up a few hours later, finding the boy's note in the kitchen counter, complete with a plate of carefully wrapped breakfast beside it. Did the boy lose his mind, thinking that Asami-sama would just read his note calmly and ate the breakfast he prepared like nothing happened? Whatever that stupid kid had in mind, by the time Asami-sama found the note, it looked like Takaba-sama had disappeared not only from Tokyo but also from the planet. No one can find him or his trace anywhere.

It is months later that Kirishima finally gets the opportunity to be the only person who is allowed to take a look on the legendary note the boy left behind. It is short. But even Kirishima feels his heart breaks when he reads it. He can't imagine the pain Asami-sama went through when his boss read the note for the first time.

_I will sacrifice him and everything else for your safety and happiness. That is why I am letting you go. Find your happiness, Ryu; someone who can support you instead of being a burden. And, please, be safe. That is all I need for my happiness. You promised me._

_Love, Akihito._


	7. Chapter 7 Hide and Seek

**Hi all, **

****Thank you for those who has followed, reviewed, and messaged me. It pushes me to write the next chapter faster and hopefully better. Please continue to let me know what you think about the story. I really really appreciate it. :D****

**Work has been hectic lately and this chapter is a bit shorter than usual. It may also take me slightly longer to upload the next chapter. But Akihito will be back in the next chapter and he will finally meet his 'babies'. Emi will make her move. And everything will go to chaos. **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Disclaimer : Viewfinder belongs to Yamano Ayano.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7. Hide and Seek<strong>

_"I seriously don't understand him, Haruka-san. I mean, no one other than him and his damned bodyguards will see me anyway! So, why do I have to buy more -," the boy made air quotes with his fingers as he mockingly yelled, "'-_PRESENTABLE CLOTHES_'?! He literally booked the whole cinema only for the two of us! For safety reason, my ass, I know what the pervert truly wants right away! There is no point for me to wear anything fancy just for that!"_

_Haruka quietly admitted that the boy had a point. It wouldn't even matter if the boy came to the regular Friday dinner naked. Hell, it might be even better. It would save some time needed by his boss to get the brat out of his clothes. But there was no way she would agree with his theory aloud. If Asami-sama wanted to buy something nice for his lover, then it would happen. So, she just silently walked alongside the boy towards the entrance of the boutique._

_It was a peaceful Thursday night. Well, unless you counted the agitated boy who stomped his feet sullenly beside her, she believed that the whole day was quite calm. Asami-sama had a good mood lately, especially when Friday was near the corner. Business had thrived tremendously in the last few months and Sion group had strongly established its power over the five continents. Suoh-san became slightly more cheerful and talkative. Even Kirishima-san looked much more relaxed recently. And heaven knew how uptight the man usually was. It seemed his boss' new lover brought some kind of fresh air for them all. _

_She shook her head. No, Takaba-sama was not a new lover. According to Kirishima-san, the boy had been together with Asami-sama for a few years previously. But some circumstances forced them to stay apart for a while. It was hard to believe in the beginning, that her cold and ruthless boss was so attached to such a boy. But as she got to know the boy better in the last few months, she started to understand the boy's charm. Takaba-sama was like the sunshine that brightened the darkest shadow with his kind and easygoing attitude. It was a rare quality nowadays, especially in the world his boss lived in. No wonder the crime lord fell for the boy, though it was a secret that only few knew._

_Not that she knew anything about love. She didn't believe in love romantically. Haruka witnessed how miserable her mother was because of her love for Haruka's father. All the man did in his pathetic life was gambling, abusing his family, and playing around with whores, leaving her and her mother in debt and poverty. At 10 years old, she vowed that she would never ever rely on any man, moreover on her father. She would survive on her own. She didn't need love or marriage. _

_When her father finally died in a sudden traffic accident, she didn't feel anything for him. It was a tough time, though. She worked so hard to get the scholarship that allowed her to continue her study. Getting her degree in finance as top of her class, she worked for one of the best company in town, making more than enough money to support her mother. Life was good for a while and she thought that the world finally sided with her. It was then that she made the biggest mistake in her life._

_"Earth to Haruka-san." the boy's voice snapped her back from her memory._

_Takaba-sama stood at the entrance of the boutique, waiting for her to enter the place as he helped the shop assistants to hold the door open. She smiled. It was this kind of little thoughtful acts that made her fond with the boy. Even though the boy was treated with extra care and love by almost everyone around him, he didn't become selfish. Instead, he was unfailingly thoughtful and considerate._

_"Thank you, Takaba-sama, but you don't have to do this," she said when she passed him._

_The boy grumbled behind her as he followed her inside, "What do you mean, I don't have to? Of course, I have to. You are a lady. My mom will kick me in the ass if I dare to forget my manner."_

_The shop was a high-class boutique with celebrities, millionaires, and socialites as their main customers. Tonight, however, the entire shop was closed for Takaba-sama's private shopping. Haruka helped the boy to select a few clothes that she knew would show off his sexy ass and lean body. She honestly thought that the clothes made him look incredibly hot. And her boss would definitely love the effect the clothes did to his lover. But the boy gave a sullen pout as he went to the fitting room to try his new outfit._

_"I feel like a whore preparing for her customer," he muttered under his breath._

_Haruka just sighed at his attitude. She had to admit that the boy was very prideful. But sometimes, his useless pride made everyone's life difficult. Though Takaba-sama would never know about it._

_As she waited patiently for him, she heard commotion from the entrance of the shop. Feeling curious, she walked towards the front door. A man and a pretty young woman stood there, facing away from her while they are complaining harshly to the shop manager for not being allowed to enter the boutique. The shop manager had sweated like crazy as he good-naturedly tried to calm the couple down. _

_"I am sorry but this shop was booked for private shopping tonight," Haruka explained to the couple sternly._

_The man turned towards her and shouted, "Who dare to-"_

_He froze. As well as Haruka. For a long moment, they just stared at each other. But she quickly gained her composure and told the man strictly, "As I mentioned, tonight, this shop is for private shopping only. I ask you to leave, Sir, or I will call the security."_

_"Do you even know who we are?" Wanting to help her husband, the young woman moved forwards and asked unpleasantly. _

_Haruka kept her face flat as she replied emotionlessly, "I am quite sure I do, Kasumi Takamiya-san, daughter of the head of Takamiya group. And this gentleman must be your husband, Daisuke Takamiya, the vice president of Takamiya enterprise. Again, I am very sorry for any inconvenience, but the entire shop is booked by Asami-sama for tonight. Now, can you please leave the premise before I call our own guards?"_

_Both of them stilled when they heard Asami-sama's name. Their eyes were wide with hidden fear. Stuttering in shock, Kasumi asked, "Do...do you...you mean...THAT Asami Ryuichi?"_

_Haruka smiled amusingly at her, "The one and only, I believe."_

_The shop manager immediately bowed down very low as he confirmed further, "As I explained, Takamiya-sama, I am very sorry, but Asami-sama has booked the entire shop for tonight. However, we will be delighted to accept you at any other time. Shall you want-"_

_Feeling shamed, she cut him short as she walked away, "Like I will come here again, you useless fool!"_

_Her husband still stood there, though. His gaze was disgusting as he looked at Haruka. Haruka narrowed her eyes when the man audaciously greeted her, "Haruka-chan, it has been a long time." _

_The shop manager looked confused with the turn of event. But, Haruka had enough already. She told the manger, "I believe that everything has been handled here. Please call the security if Takamiya-san still refuses to leave." Then she walked back to the fitting area to check on the boy._

_It took a few fittings and a hell lot of arguments to finally pick one set of clothes that Takaba-sama resentfully agreed to wear for tomorrow dinner. She told the boy to sit in the lounge and to enjoy the tea and snacks that were provided by the boutique while she was taking care of the rest. There was no need to pay their shopping now, of course. All bills would go directly into Asami-sama's account. But she wanted to secretly include a few more set of clothes that Takaba-sama tried before. It truly looked good on the boy. Besides, Kirishima-san had instructed her to buy a few additional sets for future events as well._

_It was when she waited alone for the shop assistants to wrap everything up, that Daisuke Takamiya sneaked back and grabbed her from behind. His breaths felt awful on her skin._

_"Don't pretend that you have forgot already, Haruka-chan. It hurts, you know. I miss you so much yet you act so cold towards me," the asshole whispered in a voice that she was sure toned purposely to sound husky but instead it sounded ridiculous._

_She kept calm as she tried to reason with the crazy man, "Let me go, Takamiya-san and no one needs to get hurt. You have a reputation to uphold. What will your wife say shall she know what you are doing right now? Where is she anyway?"_

_Licking her earlobe, he replied, "I sent her home, of course. I know you wanted me to come back to you. You love me. Remember?"_

_Daisuke started to grope her body and squeezed her breast. Feeling totally appalled with this jerk, Haruka quickly grabbed the man's arms, planning to throw him to the nearest wall and giving him a lesson he wouldn't forget in the near future. This man was her biggest mistake and the only regret she had in her life. She should have known better than thinking that love might be there for her after all. When Daisuke dumped her to marry Takamiya's daughter, she didn't shed a single tear for him. Instead she laughed at her own stupidity. She lost her career at Takamiya's enterprise because Daisuke wanted to get rid of all evidences. But if Daisuke thought she was still the same fresh graduate girl he played around with years back, he would get a huge surprise. However, before she could do much, she heard an angry shout from the other side of the room._

_"Hey, what are you doing to her?!"_

_Everything happened so fast as Takaba-sama suddenly launched himself into Daisuke. Haruka was shock that the lean boy apparently hid so much strength inside his body. The boy punched the older man over and over again as he yelled, "How dare you?! Don't your parents teach you to be respectful to women?!"_

_Daisuke tried to fight back. But it seemed the man got fat and slow with age. None of his blow even hit Takaba-sama. Snapping herself up from her amusing observation, Haruka moved to stop her boss' lover from seriously hurting the man. Actually, it was not a problem even if Takaba-sama ended up killing the asshole. Their legal department would clear everything right away and the boy's involvement wouldn't even be mentioned in any official report. But, she knew that his kind heart would make him feel extremely guilty afterwards._

_"Takaba-sama, it is okay. I am okay," she tried to calm him down._

_The boy was so angry, though, it took her some time to be able to completely separate him from the jerk. By the time she managed to do that, all the shop assistants had came out because of the uproar. She quickly did a fast check for injury. She was quite sure that the boy was totally okay from her previous observation, but it was always better to re-check. Tears streamed down the boy's cheeks, but other than that, he didn't get even a scratch. She released a relief breath._

_The shop manager eventually came but froze at the sight. She calmly told him to call the security while she called Suoh-san to bring the car around. She asked the assistants to help bringing all their shopping. Takaba-sama was quiet as she led him to the waiting car in front of the shop. Suoh-san was ready to assist the upset boy to get into the car._

_It was when they were safe inside the car that she heard Takaba-sama murmured dejectedly, "I am so sorry, Haruka-san."_

_She frowned, "Why? You didn't do anything wrong, Takaba-sama."_

_"I should have come sooner! Then you didn't have to go through that! But I was so mad at this whole shopping thing that I sulked. If I knew that the jerk did that to you, I would stop him immediately!" he wailed._

_She smiled at his outrage, "Well, you didn't know. No one could guess that the man was crazy. But, thank you for defending my honor. Next time though, don't do anything dangerous like that anymore. I would be fine even without help."_

_"Of course not!" he quickly snapped at her. "That man touched you in a...a..," he paused, waving his hands around as he looked for a polite word to describe his thought before finally continued, "...a disgusting way! It would not be fine! I should help you, protect you!"_

_She almost laughed at the whole absurdity. She could send Daisuke to the hospital with serious injury in a mere 5 seconds. And this boy who was a few years younger than her claimed that she needed protection. But of course she kept it all to herself. Instead she teased him, "Are you trying to say that woman is weak, Takaba-sama? Because I can protect myself."_

_The boy's shock was obvious. "I didn't mean it like that! But you are my friend. I care for you. And Suoh. And Kirishima. Wherever you are, I want to help you if you are in trouble," he softly explained._

_His honest admission stopped her from teasing the boy further. She looked closely at the younger boy who hanged his head in regret. Warm emotion filled her heart, but she wouldn't show any of it._

_"You know what, Takaba-sama," she said calmly in an effort to distract the boy from his remorse, "Just now, you sounded exactly like Asami-sama when he talked to you. Well, of course, minus the lust you obviously have for each other." She grinned at the boy._

_The boy immediately forgot his disappointment and shouted in denial, "What...what do you mean? I so did not sound like the bastard!"_

_She smiled, "Please forgive my bluntness, Takaba-sama. Didn't you just complain about Asami-sama safety precautions? He just wants you to be safe. I am sure he knows that you are strong and you can protect yourself. But just like you know I can protect myself and yet you still want to help me, it is the same with Asami-sama. Asami-sama cares for you. Indeed, the way he shows his care may not be in the way that you prefer, like when he asked you to buy those fancy clothes. But, people always want to do something for the person they cares about."_

_The stubborn boy instantly blushed. A beautiful shade of pink decorated his entire face, even to the tip of his ears. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to deny the notion, but he quickly closed it again. It was quite amusing, actually, to observe his awkward behavior. Haruka tried her best to hide her smile, keeping her face as straight as possible. Finally, Takaba-sama looked out of the car window as he muttered very quietly that she almost missed it, "I know. I care for him too."_

_A few weeks later, Kirishima-san told Haruka that the boy had disappeared._

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><p>The girl comes to Asami-sama office wearing clothes that, in a glance, makes her look exactly like the real Takaba-sama. Haruka freezes for a while, thinking that Takaba-sama has suddenly got tired of playing hide-and-seek since, no matter how long he hides and waits, they can't find him. Then, she takes a closer look and realizes that it is one of the replicas Kirishima has told her, Emi.<p>

Haruka hasn't met any of those replicas herself because Kirishima prefers to handle everything that is related with Asami-sama personally. But, as Kirishima-san's assistant, she is the one who takes care of their needs behind the scene. Such as transferring their incredibly generous monthly allowances that always make Haruka shakes her head in disbelief. Well, considering the risk that they take, she doesn't think she feel jealous of their fortune, though.

Despite her boyish appearance, Haruka has to admit that Emi looks pretty. Looking at her slim body, no one will think that she just gave birth to two baby boys no more than two months earlier. Haruka sighs. At least, the girl has a better fashion sense than the boy. The color of her clothes accentuates her short light brown hair and hazelnut eyes.

Emi walks in a way that reminds Haruka of Takaba-sama. Even the way the girl stands looks exactly the same. It seems like every single movement of the girl is a perfect copy of Takaba-sama's. And for a minute, Haruka just stares at Emi as she feels goosebumps rise all over her body at the creepy similarities between the girl and Takaba-sama.

_Shit, what kind of person does this kind of thing to other-_

She stops the thought immediately. She already knows the answer. It is her boss. And it is not part of her job to comment on her boss' kinkiness.

"Emi-san, you shouldn't be here. If you want to see the twin, I am sure we can-"

But the girl cuts Haruka's sentence, waving her pretty hand arrogantly, "Where is Ryuichi? I want to see him."

Haruka frowns at Emi's rudeness. Who does this girl think she actually is? Not even Takaba-sama talks to any of Asami-sama's subordinates like that. And she dares to call Asami-sama by his first name. But Kirishima-san has trained her better to react to this kind of impoliteness. So she keeps her smile as she replies, "I am afraid Asami-sama is very busy right now. I don't think he will have time to receive your sudden visit at the moment, Emi-san. If you have any concern, I can pass it-"

"You think you can hide him from me, don't you, bitch?"

Haruka stares at the girl, her jaw hanging open in disbelief. Does she hear the girl correctly? Maybe the long hours working to find any trace of Takaba-sama and takes care of the twin has finally took an effect on her and she starts to hallucinate.

"I beg your pardon?" she asks carefully.

"Don't play deaf. You heard me. How dare you speak to me like that? Do you even know who I am?"

The last one is a very good question and Haruka also wants to know the answer. Because Haruka is quite sure that the girl is only one of those people who sold her body to Asami-sama and signed the contract to bear his children. And therefore, she believes Emi doesn't have the right to disturb Asami-sama unreasonably.

Before Haruka can form any reply, the girl answers her own question, "I am the mother of your master's children. I give him two healthy boys. My boys are his heirs now and it gives me all the rights as Asami-sama's partner. So, from now on, you will direct me as Asami-san and give me the respect I deserve as his wife and the mother of his children. Asami-sama is the king, my sons are his princes and I am the queen. Do you understand?"

No, Haruka doesn't understand. What is this "king" and "princes" and "queen" she talked about? Besides, last time Kirishima-san told her, Asami-sama's successor is still called Takaba Akihito. Well, considering that the person is missing right now and that the children are-

"Do. You. Understand?" Emi repeats with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Haruka decides it is time to end this disruption of her work. She still has a lot of tasks to do today and a boy to find before she needs to babysit the twins. They just received a report, informing that a person who looks like Takaba-sama has been seen in Korea. And now, Kirishima-san is somewhere in Korea looking for the boy. Suoh-san is downstairs organizing their men to gather as much information as they can get. Her boss is in the meeting room next door, battling a tough negotiation alone because all their resources are spent to find any traces of Takaba-sama. They really don't have the energy for whatever it is Emi wants. So, Haruka takes her phone and quickly presses the speed dial for Suoh-san.

It seems Emi realizes what she is doing because the girl quickly moves towards her. Taking a knife out from her pocket, she attacks Haruka. It is a stupid move. Haruka has certifications of a few different martial arts. So she easily kicks the knife out of Emi's hand and holds the girl's hands behind her back. Emi instantly curses at Haruka as she tries to get free from Haruka's tight grip.

But Haruka slams the girl into the desk, not too hard to hurt her but enough to let her know that Haruka is not her match in physical fight. It messes the things on Haruka's table, though, and the high pile of Takaba-sama's photos falls from its holders at the corner of her desk. Takaba-sama's daily reports from the last three years is scattered everywhere around them as Emi knocks the entire boxes down in her fight to break free. Haruka groans at the thought of filing each of those papers back into its corresponding section. It will take ages and she really doesn't have time for this right now.

However, Emi becomes very still and quiet after that. The girl stares in silent at the mess of papers and photos around them, unable to move due to Haruka's strong hold. Good, maybe now she will be more cooperative. What is wrong with the girl? Haruka will definitely report this incident to Kirishima-san later. Maybe it is better to bring the girl to see doctor immediately. She can hurt herself in her condition.

Grabbing her phone that now lies on the floor, Haruka quickly calls Suoh-san. The man answers instantly though he sounds tired. No one gets enough rest since Takaba-sama left. They all work very hard to find anything that can be used to find the boy. His parents, his so-called boyfriend, his best friends, his colleagues, his neighbors, even the people who works at the 24/7 store that he frequently visits. They trace down everything and everyone the boy meet and touch for the past few months. But so far, they have no success.

The only thing that they know right now is that the boy bought a round trip Shinkansen ticket and booked a hotel room in Osaka before he left, which distracted their attention for a while. He even had a real project there. But the boy's colleague told Kirishima-san that Takaba-sama canceled the job in the last minute. There are so many other traces in Osaka, and after a day searching, Asami-sama decided that it was all just distractions.

Once they moved their attention from Osaka, they managed to find another trace from Takaba-sama. Hong Kong's immigration informed them that their file noted the boy's entry into the country a few hours after his disappearance. They also logged the boy's departure less than three hours after that. Asami-sama contacted Feilong immediately, demanding the truth on his involvement in the boy's disappearance. But after a hell of threats and intimidations, Asami-sama decided that Feilong really didn't know anything.

Kirishima-san took the private jet to Hong Kong as soon as they received the report. However, he couldn't find "_Takaba Akihito_" listed in any commercial transportation from Hong Kong to any other countries. Neither he could find a passenger with the boy's physical characteristics. Feilong did everything in his power to help Kirishima-san tracking down most of the private flight but it was near impossible to find all of it, especially the illegal ones. The security camera didn't help much as well. However he did everything, the boy was very neat. They haven't got any other real trace since then.

As Suoh-san's men lead the now quiet Emi back to her own apartment, Haruka shakes her head wearily at the mess Emi left behind. The thousands of photos of the boy stare at her in their various still and silent poses.

_Where are you, Takaba-sama? People who care are here looking desperately for you. Don't you care anymore?_

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><p>The twins' cry wakes her up again that night. Haruka grumbles and moves to find her sandals. Her body feels heavy as she walks towards the children's room to see what their problem is now. She gets used to it already by now. But it doesn't make it any easier.<p>

Haruka was speechless when Kirishima-san explained the whole situation to her a few months after the boy's disappearance. By that time, Emi was scheduled to give birth in a month or so. But the secretary just couldn't find someone that he could trust enough to take care of Asami-sama's children while they were looking for Takaba-sama.

The original plan was for Takaba-sama to take them in as his own sons once the twins were born. Then he and his so-called boyfriend can raise the kids in a normal environment with Asami-sama supporting them discreetly. But with Takaba-sama's disappearance, it was not a possible option anymore. They needed to make a quick adjustment. Especially since Asami-sama doesn't look comfortable to be near his own children. His boss practically goes rigid whenever his babies were near.

Well, biologically, the babies are his boss'. But legally, they are Takaba-sama's. All the official documents register both boys as Takaba-sama's children. It was a bit confusing in the beginning. But now she can understand the sentiment behind the decision.

It took a month until Asami-sama finally gave in and named the boys so that Kirishima-san could take care of the '_official'_ birth certificates. She couldn't blame her boss for postponing it until the last minute. Kirishima mentioned quietly that their boss hoped Takaba-sama would be the one who named the boys.

The older one is Takaba Rikiya. The younger one is Takaba Naoyuki. _Strength_ and _Happiness_. She doesn't understand why her boss picked the name, but as the boys grow, she can see that the names fit both boys. Rikiya is calmer and stronger physically, while Naoyuki loves to laugh.

For the past two months since the boys were born, Haruka and Kirishima-san take turn to stay in the penthouse and help to babysit the babies. Suoh-san is definitely out of question since the man is impossibly awkward with children. Tonight, it is her turn. She walks quickly, two bottles of warm milk in her hands. She is afraid that the babies' scream will wake her boss anytime now. Asami-sama needs as much sleep as he can get.

However, she stops at the door to the children's room when she sees Asami-sama inside. The man holds Rikiya in his arm while petting Naoyuki in the babies crib with the other hand. She carefully walks toward her boss, aware that the powerful man knows her arrival the moment she steps into the room.

"Do you bring their milk, Haruka?" the man asks without turning to face her.

"I do, Asami-sama. I am very sorry to disturb your night. Please continue your sleep, I will feed them," she answers with a low bow.

The man stills for a while. Then, he turns and reaches his free hand towards her. "Give one bottle to me. I can help to feed Rikiya while you feed Naoyuki," he simply says.

Reluctantly, she passes one bottle to him. Holding Naoyuki in her own arms, she lets the peaceful silence calms her down. The only noises come from the boys sucking their warm milk hungrily. Feeling curious, she observes her boss from where she sits. It is weird to see how Asami-sama can behave so gently now considering how awkward the man with his own kids before.

"I thought you don't like to be near them," she absentmindedly says before she can stop herself. _Shit_, she quickly regrets it. She must be very tired that she can't filter her brain anymore.

Her boss doesn't look offended by her honest comment, though. He walks to stand near the long window, facing away from her scrutiny. His broad back looks as strong as ever though Haruka knows for sure that the man must be very tired by now. When he doesn't say anything for a few long minutes, Haruka thinks that he will ignore her slip of tongue.

But then, without looking at her, he says, "Well, I can't sleep and they are crying. I may as well help you to feed them."

He bends his head to kiss Rikiya. Calmly putting the baby on his shoulder to make Rikiya burp as if this is not his first time, he murmurs soft praises for his child.

"Besides, they are my only memento of him," he suddenly continues, his voice is cold and flat as if he is merely negotiating business like she has witnessed numerous times before. His icy tone is a complete contradiction to his words. Haruka can't see Asami-sama's face so, in the beginning, she is not sure whether her boss feels truly sad or not. Asami-sama just stands there silently, rocking his first-born son in his solid embrace.

But somehow, she can feel all the sorrow radiates from deep within him. It is so strong that it hits her speechless. She can't stand the sight anymore so she closes her eyes. She still doesn't believe that love is something meant for someone like her. But if love truly exists and there is someone out there who has the honor to see this thing called love first hand, moreover to receive it, then Takaba-sama is one of the lucky persons.

_Wherever you are, Takaba-sama, _she vows quietly, _we will find you. Then I will punch you myself. I will tell you what a stupid mistake you had made. That's what friends are for, anyway._

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><p>When Arata sits in front of Mariko in the cafe, his sister looks nervous. She keeps glancing back over her shoulder. She even jumps in her seat when he touches her hand gently.<p>

"Sorry, Arata, I am just-," she shakes her head to clear her mind, "I just feel that someone has been following me around for the last few weeks. But I can't be sure. Must be my imagination."

He straightens himself in alarm when he hears that. But his sister stops her with a wave of her hand.

"Don't mind me. I can protect myself. Your problem is our top priority right now. How is it? Do you hear anything from Akihito? Does the scary men who looked for him come back?"

Arata sighs as he answers, "No, they don't come back after the last time they barged in to our apartment. I called the police after that but they ignored my report. Even Kou starts to worry. Those men also came to him and Takato. Aki's parent told me that some men also questioned them around the same time. And so far, there is no news from Aki."

Rubbing his growing headache with his fingers, he continues, "Where is Aki? Does he get involved in something dangerous? It is possible considering his previous career in criminal photography. Is that why he wanted to break up with me, to protect me from his problem? What should I do? I am so worry about Aki, I don't know what to do."

Mariko doesn't know what to say. In her opinion, it is better for her little brother to move on and to forget Akihito. This whole situation reminds her of the time when her own husband left her with debts. Suspicious people knocked their door looking for him and the jerk was nowhere to be found. Will it be better if she tells Arata about seeing Akihito at that high-class neighborhood? She is still considering the options when she sees a person standing across the street behind Arata, staring intensely at her. She freezes. It is Akihito.

Akihito smiles at her. His hand brushes his light brown hair before he waves lightly. Mariko stands abruptly and opens her mouth to tell Arata. But a bus passes, blocking her view of Akihito for a short moment. And when the bus disappears, so does Akihito.


	8. Chapter 8 Going Back Home

**Hi,**

**Apparently, having more pressure at work makes me write faster. :D**

**I also want to thank everyone that has leave reviews, fave this story, and follow it! Your thoughts and comments help me sorting the story in my head faster. So thank you very much! Please, terribly please with cherry on the top, keep your reviews coming. You don't know how much it helps me. :)**

**For those who asked why Emi is still around, it will be answered in the next chapter which will focus more on Asami and Emi. **

**Disclaimer : VF belongs to Yamane Amano**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8. Going Back Home<strong>

**Part 1. Loneliness Kills The Cat**

I lie on the white sand beach, enjoying the warmth of the never-ending summer in this tropical paradise. Eyes closed, I spread my arms and legs wide, trying to relax my whole body. The soft wind blows through the coconut trees nearby and the muffled rustles of its leaves slightly calm my chaotic heart. But nothing can stop my mind from wandering to the only place I want to be.

_What time is it in Japan? What does Ryu do by now? Is he well? Is he safe? Does he eat properly? He often skips his meal. He must not smoke and drink too much. It is not good for his health. By the way, what time is it in Japan now?_

I repeat every single thought silently in my head over and over again.

I understand that it is for Asami's own good that I leave him. I am not going to watch him getting hurt because of me again. And if I stay with him, I know I will just bring him down. I am a liability that he needs to cut loose so he can survive in his world. A burden. A weakness. This is not the easiest decision, but it is the best for both of us. My logic knows this old arguments well. My stubborn heart, in the other hand, refuses to accept it.

_Let him go, Akihito. You have no place in his world. Just like he will never be comfortable in your world. You both are just way too different. Stop thinking about him. Move on. You have your own life to live now. Sooner or later, he, too, will accept your decision. And everything will get better. _

But it is easier said than done. I struggle to take a deep calming breath. But that still doesn't stop a willful teardrop from falling down on my cheek. Angry at my failure to control that single drop, I rub my cheek violently to wipe it away.

It doesn't help that the whole place reminds me of my time with Asami in that tropical island. Why didn't I run away to the North Pole, anyway? I am sure nothing will remind me of him there. Oh, right, it is because Tao is the one who arranged everything for me. And according to him, South East Asia is the safest place for me right now. It is a relatively neutral zone controlled by Asami's acquaintance, someone who respect him enough not to hurt me but doesn't work for Asami that he will go the extra mile to find me.

I don't think I can go this far without Tao. For years since the Hong Kong incident, even after I broke up with Asami, Tao and I always keep in contact. When I consulted him about my messy relationships with Arata and Asami, Tao didn't judge me at all. Instead, he asked whether I was sure about my decision to leave the two men. And when I said I did, he told me to describe my plan in detail.

"Leaving Arata is simple, Aki. He is a normal man. You can just break up with him like any other normal couple in the world," he said. "But leaving Asami won't be that simple. Men like him hate to lose what they claim as theirs." He quickly added when I protested, "I know you think that you don't belong to him. Or to anyone else. But he thinks that you are his. For him, it doesn't matter what you think. His instinct is to keep you and to protect you. Trust me, if you leave, he will hunt you down to the end of the earth and he will destroy anything that stands in his way."

Tao sounded so sure and mature that it annoyed me a bit. I was much older than him. He shouldn't be the one who make advices. The last time we met in Hong Kong, he was just a young boy who did whatever Feilong told him to do. How come he grew up so fast in just a few years and I didn't realize it until now? So, just to maintain my pride as the older one, I mocked him, "Yeah, says the 15 years old boy."

He didn't take my teasing seriously, though. Surprising me with his calm confident, he replied in a strong and steady voice, "I can tell you this, Aki, because I will do the same if I am in his position."

His plain answer sent a shivers down my spine. Where had the naive and cheerful boy that I met in Hong Kong gone? Every time we called each other with Skype, I saw how he changed bit by bit. He got taller. His posture became more like a man than a boy. His face lost its innocent attributes. His movement was more graceful. His voice turned deeper and his tone was full of confident. But the biggest change was the way he talked that somehow reminded me of Asami. Or Feilong. It sounded as if he could see everything from a perspective that normal people couldn't see. As if there were a line that separate their world with the normal world where us commoners lived. I didn't really notice the full weight of the difference up until that moment. And somehow, this new Tao made me feel even more scared. If Asami and Feilong's world could change Tao so much, how could I be sure that it wouldn't change me as well? What would I become if I stayed there?

When Tao realized that I didn't have a solid plan other than making up a fake journey to Osaka while hiding somewhere else, he offered his help. In the beginning, I felt reluctant to involve him in my personal problem. But his argument convinced me.

"You won't get far without help, Aki. You may not know, but Sion group is one of the strongest organizations in the world right now. Asami has eyes, ears, and hands everywhere in all five continents. If you stay in Japan, he will find you in a matter of hours. If you hide in another country with a tourist visa, he will track you down in a few days by tracing your passport and bank activity. Even if you can, by any luck, hide from him, most probably wherever you go it will be either Asami's or his enemies' territory. Sooner or later, someone will find you and return you to Asami to get his favor, or someone will kill you just to spite him. You are my friend, Aki, my only true friend. Friend is a rare thing in my world and I don't want my only true friend to die. I know you will do this no matter what I say. But please, at least, let me help you," Tao said sternly when I called him from a random Internet shop half a year a go.

It is one of Tao's strange rules that I must not call him with my own phone or laptop. He even gave me software that I have to run to kill any third party application trying to track or record our online conversation. Just to stay safe, he told me. For me, it looks like the kid becomes more and more paranoid as he grows up. I don't know how Feilong raises him because Tao has never talked much about himself, enjoying my stories better than telling his own. But I make a mental note that Feilong and I will have a serious chat about what-you-should-and-shouldn't-teach-to-your-adopted-son as soon as I can.

From what he told me, it seems that Tao has independently built his own little empire behind Feilong's back for the last few years. And that was how he got me out of Japan illegally without Feilong knowing anything. Tao brought me to South East Asia through one of his secret routes. And with his help, I passed a few country borders without going through the normal immigration processes, which is why Asami can't detect my movement so far. At such a young age, Tao may not have as much power and wealth as his adopted father yet. But his wide connection and the loyalty of his men truly impress me. I guess, without connections and loyalty, he won't be able to keep his business a secret from the world, moreover from his father and Yoh's scrutiny.

I finally open my eyes when I realize that no matter how hard I try to relax my mind, it won't work. I can't stop my brain from thinking about Asami. Maybe it is not a wise decision to come to this holiday resort. It is actually Tao's idea. He heard about this place called Raja Ampat and he thought having a short holiday in paradise would snap me out of my memory of Asami. Besides, since I left Japan, Tao had acted discreetly as my manager, handling my contracts with an international science magazine. And after months working in a tough photography project in the deep forest of Borneo, he thought that I needed a break. "You can't keep working like that, Aki. You need to reward yourself once in a while. It will help you to relax," he argued. But apparently, he is wrong. Having nothing to occupy my mind just makes me feel even more depressed.

I glance at the watch on my wrist. I sigh. It is still 10 in the morning. A day seems to pass even slower when you are alone.

_Wait, if it is 10 am here, what time is it in Japan now?_

* * *

><p>That night, I feel like I can't stand the loneliness anymore. It is not that the place is not beautiful. This holiday resort is breathtakingly stunning. I even took a few amazing pictures here. The sea is great for snorkeling and surfing. And it gives you a quiet personal time. It is a perfect place if you want to escape from your daily routine and the pressure of big cities.<p>

The problem is that it doesn't matter how beautiful the paradise you live in is if you can't share it with the person you love. I see the deep blue ocean and I wish that Asami were here with me. I see the cozy natural room and I blush at the idea of what the pervert may do to me on that sturdy bed. I gaze at the clear starry night and I long for his touches and caresses and embraces.

I decide that I need a distraction. So, after dinner, I try to find a public Internet connection. The first thing I do is checking my email. I will search any news about Asami later, saving the best for the last. Arata, Kou, Takato, and my parents have sent me hundreds of emails in the past six months. Of course, I don't reply to any of them.

Tao helped me once to send a short anonymous message to my parents, informing them that I am okay. I don't know whether they realize that it was me. But I don't dare to put my name in the message. I don't want Asami to find out that I still contact them. Who knows what he will do? The bastard may torture my poor parents just to get information.

There are some new emails. Most of them are from my parents. They write their emails daily as if I always reply back to them, telling me stories about things that happen in their life and asking me about my own day. I chuckle at their latest email about how my mother caught an underwear thief in our neighborhood. I pity the thief for meeting my mother. He must be the unluckiest thief in the world.

What suddenly catches my attention, however, is Arata's latest email. His emails usually ask where I am and beg me to come home. But this one is different. The subject freezes my blood and I think my heart stops beating as I read the full content.

_From : Takagi Arata_

_Subject : Mariko is missing!_

_Aki,_

_I am not sure whether you truly read any of my emails since you never reply. But I don't know what else to do. Mariko is missing for three days days now. She went to buy some milk from the convenience store near our parents' house one night and she never returned. _

_It is my fault, Aki. She told me someone has been following her, but I don't really pay attention. I am too busy with my own problems. We reported it to the police but they didn't do much since she is an adult._

_Aki, I told you some menacing men came to our apartment looking for you. I told them that you weren't in the city. I refused to tell them where you were even if I knew. What if those men kidnapped Mariko because I didn't want to tell them about you? Maybe they think I will tell them where you are if they take her. What if they hurt her? What shall I tell my parents if something bad happened to her because of me?_

_What should I do, Aki? Please, Aki, come home. I can't do this alone. Whatever your problem is, we can face it together._

_Missing you, Arata._

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. Tao, James Bond, and Asami Ryuichi<strong>

My heart beats frantically as I push my way through the crowd. Holding my backpack tight, I run towards the ticket counter. I was lucky that the hotel manager could get me transportation to the city in such a short notice. But now I need to get into the first flight back to Japan.

After struggling with various administrative procedures, I release a relief breath when the lady behind the counter finally passes my flight ticket to Tokyo. I tuck my ticket safely with my passport and keep it inside my jacket pocket. The satellite phone Tao gave me rings when I leave the ticket counter.

"Aki? Why on earth the phone's GPS told me that you are not in Raja Ampat? Don't tell me you use your real name to get a transport to the city?" he questions me as soon as I answer his call.

I already run towards the immigration by that time. The gate my plane is departing from is already opened and the announcement repeatedly asks for the passengers to enter the boarding lounge immediately.

"Sorry, Tao...it is emergency," I inform him quickly while catching my breath. "I will explain later. I need to go to Japan for a while. Arata's sister is in trouble. Asami kidnapped her."

"What?! But, why? Aki, calm down, you are panic. You don't think clearly! Why would Asami do something so useless?" The boy practically yells at me.

His reply as if Mariko is useless upsets me more than his comment that I don't think clearly. I scream back at him, "USELESS? Tao, since when have you not care about other people anymore? Has your heart turned into stone just like Asami's and Feilong's? Someone could get hurt or even die because of ME! I can't just stay here sunbathing!"

"Asami WON'T do something as stupid as kidnapping your ex-boyfriend's sister just to get you, Aki," he growls low dangerously.

"Oh, and how do YOU know? Let me guess. Is it because that is something YOU won't do? Who do you think you are?! Asami's fortuneteller?!"

"Because he will think that you are a bit smarter than this! Once you go back to Japan, Asami will get you and there is no way for you to leave him ever again. He will put you in a cage that you will need to ask his permission to even taking a fucking pee! And it may truly happen if you go to Japan now. Trust me. Aki, you put both of us in danger. Now calm down-"

I cut him, "No need to help if you don't want to, Tao. Now, I need to hang up. I have to go through the immigration and save someone."

"What?! Immigration? Shit, Aki, you can't! What are you even doing in a commercial airport, stupid?! Get out from the airport, NOW! Aki, you don't understand-"

I hang up and turn off the phone. What? Does he think that we are in some kind of action movies? Besides, this is not Japan. Not even Asami has that much power to control other country's authority. He is not a God like what everyone else thinks he is. He can't be everywhere and knowing everything. I will do this very fast that he won't even realize what I have done.

I shake my head at Tao's ridiculous behavior as I queue in front of the immigration counter. Seriously, how Feilong raises the kid is beyond my imagination. Somehow Tao thinks that he is the main character in a James Bond movie. It must be Feilong's influence. Their world is obviously not something suitable for kids.

When it is my turn, I obediently pass my passport, flight ticket, and immigration form to the officer. He looks bored as he takes my documents. But when he opens the detail page, he stills. He quickly scans my passport and taps his finger impatiently while waiting for the results. In fact, he scans it twice as if to make sure that the information is correct. Slowly, he looks up at me.

"Takaba Akihito?" he asks in a strange accent.

I nod, "Yes?"

The officer nods back nervously as he grabs the phone on his desk. After dialing some numbers, he talks rapidly in the local language. I don't understand anything that he says. But the way he keeps glancing at me makes me feel uneasy. I keep moving my body weight from one foot to the other in an effort to calm myself.

Finally, unable to stand the nervousness any longer, I ask him, "Excuse me. Is there any problem with my passport?"

Indeed, I may have entered the country illegally. But Tao's men told me that the _'fake'_ entry stamp in my passport was official and legal. They explained that having no official entry stamp in my passport might cause problem if there was any documents checking. That was why, even though my entry to the country was not officially registered (which apparently is possible in some countries!), I should be able to pass the immigration safely if needed. Or so they told me.

The officer tries to smile to calm me down, but he doesn't look convincing. In a slightly broken English, he explains, "It's okay, Sir. My colleagues will come assist you. Just wait here."

His _colleagues_ consist of three bulky men whose appearances scare me right away. All the terrible stories about people being sent to jail in some third world countries flash in my mind. And for a while, I think I can't breath. Horror fills my entire body when I realize that I am in a big trouble. Alone. In a country which language I can't speak at all. Without Tao or Asami to save me this time. The next thing I do before I can think properly is to turn away and run.

"Sir, stop!" one of the officer barks loudly at me.

But my basic instinct tells me to ignore him. I run as fast as my feet can bring me, which is quite fast, actually. But obviously those men are fast as well. People scream all around me as I push them out of my way. A lady falls hard on her side when I quickly run between her and a fat man beside her. Looking back over my shoulder, I yell my apology to her. But I can't just stop to help her now. Not with the additional officers who are now running towards me.

By the time I reach the end of the hall, people shout in a few different languages from every corner of the airport. I can hear a lady yelling the word _'bomb'_ somewhere behind me. _Shit_. In my panic, I don't pay attention to where I go. The signs in this country are not so clear. And I am not familiar with the place. I scan my surrounding quickly to find anything that can help me to escape. _Think, Akihito, think!_

"Sir, this is second warning. Stop!" The same voice warns me.

I decide to take my chance with the door. But before I can grab the handle, a loud gunshot echoes clearly behind me. Everyone around me screams and covers their heads, lowering their body to the ground.

I freeze instantly.

The officer talks to me calmly in his stuttering English, "Sir, that's warning shot. Come peacefully and we don't shoot you."

Both our ability to speak English may not be so perfect, but his message is clear to me. And so, I slowly turn around and carefully raise my hands.

* * *

><p>After putting handcuffs on my wrists, they take my satellite phone and backpack and leave me in a small room. Seeing the handcuffs sends a sharp pain to my heart, remembering the unreasonable feeling of safety that I felt as Asami caressed me while I was kneeling naked at his feet inside his luxurious office. Deep down I wonder whether I will be able to see him again. Will he reply if I send him a letter from jail? Will he come to see me? Will he even remember me? What if he has another lover by now? But, isn't it me who asked him to do so?<p>

An officer comes and gives me a glass of sweet tea, some snacks and even an international newspaper. This people are quite friendly, in my opinion, considering I am someone who will go to jail soon. I try to ask why they detain me. Inwardly, I am worried that it is because of my illegal entry to the country. But they simply smile and shake their head. I am not sure whether it means that they are forbidden to talk to me, or they simply don't understand what I am trying to say.

However, I don't wait for long. In less than an hour, two other bulky officers come and bring me towards another door. The door leads to a gate connecting to a plane. I feel so confused. Where is the jail? Why do they bring me to a plane? Is the jail in another city?

The entire plane is lavish but empty. It seems that I am the only passenger. They help me to sit on one of the seat near the alley, fasten my safety belt, and leave.

As soon as the plane takes off, a Japanese looking man comes to sit beside me. The man looks friendly and kind. And when he greets me in Japanese, I immediately release a relief breath.

"Takaba-san, my name is Himura. I am from the embassy of Japan and I am here to assist you. You are safe and there is nothing to worry. At least, for now. We are now in a flight back to Japan. For some reasons that I don't know in details, our government has requested every country in the world to deport you as soon as you pass their immigration. Which is why you are here now. I have made a call to Japan before we take off to make sure that someone will take care of you as soon as we land," he explains politely with some sort of pity in his eyes.

I raise my eyebrow and then shake my head in confusion, "What? Our government? Why? I am nobody."

Looking extremely uncomfortable, he avoids making any eye contact with me as he lowers the volume of his voice, "I don't know, Takaba-san. Do you remember crossing the wrong people? Do you disturb a high profile person? Does your line of work annoy someone? Do you borrow money you can't return? Do you sleep with the wrong person, you know, someone's wife or lover maybe?"

With a completely blank expression, I shake my head along with every question.

"I am just a freelance photographer for a science magazine, Himura-san. I haven't been in Japan for half a year, travelling for my project. The only things I can annoy for the past six months are a family of Orang Utan in Borneo or the monks in Cambodia. Can you please be more specific on which one of those two that I somehow annoyed?" I ask sarcastically.

He sighs. His whisper is almost inaudible as he answers carefully, "Do you happen to recognize the name of Asami Ryuichi? Because you must somehow make him truly upset for him to spend so much resources to track you down."

I look at Himura for a second before I fight to break free in a complete anger. I swear I will kill Asami.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 3. There Is No Place Like Home<strong>

"Ryu, shut up," I mumble sleepily.

But the disturbing voice doesn't stop. I try to block the noise by covering my head with the soft pillow made from the thickest arctic Russian snow-goose down. I know because I bought the pillows myself. Like Asami will have time to buy his own household stuffs. The man just demands high quality things inside his home without caring how those things get here in the first place.

_What is this terrible noise actually? Why can't the man let me sleep in peace?_

Unable to go back to my slumber, I open my eyes. _Oh, no, no, wrong decision! Close it again! It's too bright._ I enjoy the complete darkness that engulfs me while I build the courage to open my eyes again. Even slower this time. _Ahh, that was much better._

The roof that I look at is familiar. Our bedroom. In our home. I am home. Oh God, there is no place like home. Wait, didn't something like this happen before? I feel like I just get a Deja Vu.

Then I realize that the noise I heard is actually a cry. A baby's cry. More than one baby, actually, if I heard it correctly. _What the hell? Whose babies is it that dare to cry in Asami Ryuichi's home? Wait! Why am I even at home? I shall be at Raja..._

...and it all come back to me.

Raja Ampat. Mariko. Running through the airport. Gunshot. Being deported. Himura. Asami Ryuichi.

I grit my teeth as I repeat the last name in my head. The anger I felt in the plane comes back tenfold. That bastard made me run away from the security officers in a foreign country airport like a criminal. Well, I did enter the country illegally. So I guess, it is partly my fault. But if he didn't meddle, they wouldn't even know it and I wouldn't be treated as if I am a fucking terrorist in a suicide-bombing mission!

And being deported! As per my own government request! Since when does breaking up with someone become the government's business, for god's sake? Is it against the law to break up with your lover nowadays? Is it forbidden now to avoid your ex-lover by travelling to another country? Is there any official form I need to fill to report our break up?! Because I will be more than happy to fill any form to break up with the bastard at this moment. Shit, can't he just stop being so over the top with all his actions?!

I am in such a fury. I remember I tried to attack Himura as soon as I heard him mentioning Asami's name. I was so afraid of being sent to a foreign jail and apparently, it was all because of the egotistical Asami. Unfortunately, handcuffed behind my back and strapped by the safety belt around my waist, I couldn't do much. Well, now that I can think properly, it is not really Himura's fault. He was just doing his job, complying with a selfish request from a selfish crime lord.

However, Himura looked shocked by my sudden anger, he immediately called the security guards. They covered my mouth and nose with a piece of fabric full of chloroform. Which explains the throbbing headache I have now.

And the babies' cry doesn't make my headache better. _Damn it. Does the man also kidnap innocent children now? Maybe he has turned our home into a human trafficking warehouse. Anyway, how long have I been out?_

Struggling to get up from the bed, the chains around my wrists and ankles stop me immediately.

_What the hell is this now? _

For a while, I am completely speechless as I examine the long chains that bind both my wrists and ankles. Actually, the chains won't stop me from walking wherever I want. It just makes my movement difficult. But, still. I am chained. Like an animal.

_Have the bastard lost his freaking mind?!_

Furiously, I walk as fast as I can to find him or anyone else who can explain the situation to me. Because everything just doesn't make sense at the moment. Mariko is missing. There are obviously babies in my home, crying. I am chained inside my own house. And I just got deported because my lover, wait, correction, my ex-lover used his goddamned power to influence the government. Or '_the_ _governments'_, to be exact.

The next time we break up, he may as well put my wanted poster in newspapers all over the world.

But when I finally find him, I stop dead at the entrance of the room. It is actually our study room. But in the six months that I am gone, someone has turned it into babies' room. Or _emergency_ babies room, considering the mismatched layout inside. The crib blocks the entire bookshelf. All things related to baby is scattered on the study desk AND the chairs. And instead of toys, I can see Asami's gun inside its holder lies on the floor.

Asami stands in the middle of the room, facing away from me. The man calmly feeds the baby in his strong arms as if he had never told me how much he hated children. The other baby is still crying inside the crib. And I don't know which one makes me more speechless: the idea of Asami holding a child or the fact that he carelessly put his gun near children.

"Are you out of your mind?" I instantly shout at him.

He doesn't look surprise by my outrage. Instead, he simply says, "You finally wake up. How do you feel?"

I shake my head in disbelief at his ignorance. Taking his gun from the floor, I move it to the top of the bookshelf for now, away from the children's reach.

"Whose babies are they? Do you kidnap them as well?" I ask as I take the other crying baby into my arms. Searching quickly for a bottle of milk, I find one on the messy desk. The chains make it difficult for me to hold the baby in a comfortable position, but somehow I manage to do it.

Instead of answering my questions, Asami just stares at me feeding the baby for a few long moments. Then he replies shortly, "I don't remember kidnapping anyone this week."

"Oh? Really? So you don't call _'threatening an innocent man with gunshot, putting handcuffs on him, sedating him forcefully, and then chaining his wrist and ankles'_ as kidnapping? Good to know. Up until now, I thought there is law against such things, you see."

"Oh, you are so innocent, aren't you, Akihito?"

_Is that a smile I saw in his face? Doesn't the man understand that I am angry beyond words with him right now?_

I ignore him and continue, "You haven't answered my question. Whose babies are they? And what is this fuck-," remembering the babies presence, I stop myself. He sneers at my slip.

"Yes, Akihito?"

"Just release me. NOW!" I growl.

He shrugs as he moves the baby in his hand to his shoulder, trying to make the baby burps. _How does the man suddenly know the way to handle baby? What happen in these six months that I am gone? Is this truly the same Asami Ryuchi that I knew before?_

"Well, maybe I will. If you ask nicely. You, Akihito, just showed these children a very bad example on how we should behave when we ask someone a favor," he gives me a satisfied smirk while stroking the baby he holds gently.

His composure makes me feel even more annoyed. "A FAVOR? YOU ARE THE ONE WHO-"

The babies' cry stops my shout instantly. I put the bottle away and rock the baby in my arm gently, trying to calm him down. When I look up at Asami, I see him grinning at me. If I don't remember that there are kids inside the room, I swear I will use his own gun to stop that annoying smile of his. Which may end up with him fucking me senseless, so I think it is really not a wise option with children around.

"Stop shouting, Akihito. You scare them," he chastises me.

I whisper angrily back at him, "So, the great Asami Ryuichi prefers to hide behind children rather than talking like a mature adult."

Asami ignores my sarcasm. He puts the now sleeping baby in his arm to the crib before taking the one in my arms. The baby calms down instantly in his embrace. I have to admit that I am quite impressed. Who can guess that Asami Ryuchi has a hidden talent with children?

With the two babies safely tucked inside their crib, Asami leads me to the living room. Out of habit, I automatically go to the kitchen to get him a glass of his favorite whiskey. By the time I get back to the living room, I find him settling on the sofa. The lighted cigarette dangles at the edge of his sexy lips. Resting his head back, he blows the toxic smoke through his nose.

I don't give him any warning as I put the whiskey in his hand and grab the cigarette from between his fingers. Putting the cigarette away in an ashtray, I tell him sternly, "I don't know whose babies they are. But you are not going to smoke inside the house when those kids are around. At least, as long as I am here, I will make sure you don't."

Looking up at me, he absentmindedly swirls the whiskey around. Needless to say, he doesn't look worried at all when he replies, "I won't be able to smoke inside the house anymore, then."

I glare at him. "Don't worry. I won't be here for long. As soon as you release Mariko, I will be gone."

He snorts at my answer. "Don't tell me you still believe that you can run away from me, Akihito. I don't believe you are that stupid. By now you should have learnt that wherever you go, I will find you. Besides, where will you go with those chains binding your wrists and ankles? Or should I brand you with a tattoo like what Feilong did? And what do you mean by releasing Mariko? Which Mariko is this we are talking about?"

"The one you kidnapped, you bastard! Arata's sister! How many other Mariko do you have in your life?!" I yell at him.

The moment I mention Arata, he stills. The teasing smile instantly disappears. His expression turns darker and when he finally replies, his icy tone makes me shrink in fear. "I told you, I don't remember kidnapping anyone this week. But even if I did, why does it matter to you? You broke up with that useless dog already. What happened to his sister has nothing to do with you now. I will find you another dog to replace him. Someone that is much more handsome and less boring."

I can't believe my ear. _What did he just call Arata?! A dog?_

It is not that I still love Arata or anything. I know I don't love him anymore now. The only person who fills my entire mind to the point of insanity for the last six months is the arrogant bastard who now sits like a king in front of me. What annoys me to no end is the fact that he thinks so little of other people. Like the way he calls Arata or the way he thinks I will happily accept his offer for a replacement. As if he thinks I will clap my hand and jump eagerly at the prospect of being able to sleep with someone else. Does he think so low of me? Does he underestimate my love for him? Why does he think I try so damn hard to leave him if it is not because I love him so damn much?

Never before I feel so angry with him in my life. And at that moment, I am quite sure I can strangle the man to death in my rage. In a flat emotionless tone, I tell him, "In case you forgot, I also broke up with you. Shall I find another perverted dog to replace you as well? Someone that is much younger and less arrogant?"

The moment I see hurt flashing in his eyes, I regret my words immediately. The pain was there for only a brief second before he puts his mask of coolness back. But it was clearly there. Other people would not notice it. But I see it as clear as day. I know him way too well to miss it.

People said that words are as sharp as a sword. My mom told me that it is not true. You can halt your movement when you attack with a sword. Instead, words are like an arrow. Once you release it, you can't take it back. And at this moment, I will give everything in my life to take my words back.

"Ryu, I didn't mean it. I am sorry. I am just-"

"Someone younger and less arrogant? Like who, Akihito? Tao, maybe?"

For a long moment, we just stare at each other. I am confused and he is furious even though he doesn't show it much. I don't understand why he suddenly brings up Tao. Is it jealousy that I heard dripping from his questions? Why does the man need to feel jealous towards a 15 years old boy?

He stands up and strides leisurely towards me, looking as confident as a lion approaching a cornered prey. I can't stop the tremble when his fingers make a ghostly caress on my cheek. His thumb brushes my lower lips roughly. And I feel an impulsive desire to suck his thumb and show him how much I miss him even though he is such an annoying and maddening bastard.

Asami leans down until our faces are separated by only a few mere inches. I can feel his intoxicating warm breath on my face. His lips form a sensual smirk. But his golden eyes gleam with danger when he continues, "That boy is smart enough not to leave any trace in the phone he gave you. He is very neat in making sure that nothing can lead me to him. But unfortunately for the both of you, a witness in the airport overheard your conversation with him."

I feel like someone has thrown a whole bucket of ice water to me. Understanding dawns on me as I recognize the accusation hidden between his words. Stuttering, I beg in fear, " Ryu, wait, what did you do to Tao? He is not at fault. I asked him to help me. He has nothing to do with our problem. I didn't run away with him or anything! Come on, he is just a boy. He is barely 15."

But Asami just walks away, ignoring my plea. Standing behind him, I try to reason, "Feilong won't let you hurt him."

My argument halts his movement for a short while. Then he laughs. His chuckle feels unfamiliar even to my ears. It sounds distant. And evil. As if I just see another side of Asami that he has never shown me before. "Feilong would let me punish his adopted son however I wish than having his entire organization eliminated by me. Or maybe you want Tao to replace your last dog? Ask nicely and I may consider it."

I stare at him, my jaw hanging open in disbelief. I don't know what to say. I feel like I just wake up in a surreal world. My ex-boyfriend's sister disappeared. My government requested every other country in the world to deport me just because my egotistical ex-crime-lord-lover told them to do so. I am chained like an animal by the same ex-crime-lord-lover who suddenly has the ability to take care of children. And not only that, said ex-crime-lord-lover is apparently mad enough to suggest me to sleep with an underage boy so the world won't find out about our messed up relationship.

When I didn't say anything else (seriously, you can't blame me for that!), he gives me instructions in a cold voice, "You will stay here until I say otherwise. There are guards everywhere around the penthouse. Think wisely before you act. Haruka and Kirishima will help you taking care of the twins, but they won't arrive in Tokyo until the day after tomorrow. They are still cleaning up the mess you left behind."

"What? Wait! I can't just stay here doing nothing! I have things to do! What about Mariko? If you didn't kidnap her, then where is she? I have to help Arata finding her."

He slowly looks back at me and unconsciously I take a step back in fear. His eyes burn bright with hidden anger until its irises look like pure melted gold and I shudder at his calm wrath. I know I hurt his pride. And defying his orders right after I wounded his ego doesn't improve the situation. His voice is sharp with warning as he snarls at me, "Try to contact that dog if you dare, and Mariko won't be the only one missing."

And with those words, he leaves me alone. Tao's voice through the phone keeps echoing in my head. '_Aki, you put both of us in danger,'_ he said. And I didn't listen to him. What have I done? How come everything turns into such a mess?

* * *

><p>Mariko shivers with cold at the corner of the damp room. Her face is dirty with dirt, tears, and mud. How long has she been here alone in the darkness? It feels like forever already. She has tried yelling and banging the door until her voice becomes rasp and her hands bleed. And now she has passed the point of crying for help. She knows by now that no one will come to rescue her.<p>

Someone gives her food and stinky water regularly through the small hole on the door. But no one answers when she tries to talk to whoever it is at the other side of the door. The food is disgusting. But after some time, she doesn't care anymore. She is hungry and those filthy foods are better than none.

Mariko doesn't understand what happens. A few days after she saw Akihito across the street, she received a letter. It said that it was from Akihito, asking to meet her to explain everything. Akihito told her to meet him alone at the park near her house and not to tell anyone because he was not ready to face Arata yet. So she made an excuse that she needed to buy milk at the convenience store nearby and waited for Akihito. The next thing she knew, she woke up in this dirty room, almost naked but for her underwear.

She hears someone opening the door and instinctively she crawls even further to the corner, trying to cover her body with her arms from whoever it is. It is bright outside the door and she blinks multiple times to adjust her eyes with the light. Someone stands at the entrance of the door. In the beginning, she can only see that person's silhouette. But as her eyes get used to the light, she recognizes the person standing in front of her.

"Akihito?"

The person's reply, however, confuses her, "Akihito? Takaba Akihito, is it? I saw the name was mentioned on that bitch's papers. She didn't realize that I take a peek on her documents, too busy slamming me down into her desk, I guess. I swear she will pay for it. So, it is truly his name. Do I look that similar to him that you keep mistaking me for him? You think I were him as well when we met the other day, don't you? I have been following you around for more than a week that I feel like I have known you forever."

Something is wrong. The voice sounds too feminine for Akihito. Is it a girl?

"You are not Akihito. Who are you? Where am I? What do you want with me?" Mariko asks in fear.

The girl smiles at her. In a glance, her face looks somehow kind and naive, just like Akihito. But Mariko starts to notice a little difference here and there. Like the way her eyes lit brightly the moment she notices Mariko's terror.

"It doesn't matter who I am or where you are. But I can tell you what I want. I want all the information you know about this Akihito. You see, the boy distracts my master, and I think I don't like it. All those photos and reports on the boy's daily activity, tsk, people will think that my master is obsessed with him. And my master doesn't obsess with anything, moreover a brat like him, as if he is a teenager with hormonal imbalance."

The girl tilts her head in a way that reminds Mariko of Akihito. But now Mariko can see clearly that this girl, whoever she is, is not similar with Akihito at all. She curses herself. How come she mistaken this evil girl with Akihito?

"Like I will tell someone like you!"

But the girl just laughs, obviously excited with her reaction. She turns around, reaching her hand to someone behind her, who readily passes something that Mariko can't see from her position.

"Oh? Trying to be brave, aren't you? But you won't act like that for long. It doesn't matter whether it is you, this Akihito, that bitch, or even my own sons; I will destroy everything and everyone that stands between my master and I. Now, you can start telling me everything that you know willingly or I can force the answer out of you. Whichever you choose, Mariko-san, I will certainly enjoy our time together."

And then Mariko sees what she has in her hand. It is metal handcuffs with some clamps attached and wires that are connected to a box in the size of a car battery. And when the girl orders the goon behind her to put it on Mariko's body, Mariko' screams echoes inside the empty dark room.


	9. Chapter 9 The Victims of Evils

**Hi,**

**I will be quite busy in the coming weeks, so I want to upload this chapter early. :)**

**As always, thank you for those who has reviewed, faved, and followed. This story will reach its climax soon. But I am planning to write the continuation, a series of how Asami and Akihito's daily life is with the teenage twins and their 10 years old angelic sister. If you have any input/feedback, kindly let me know. Oh, and since I am so bad at making names, if you have any suggestion for the name of their daughter, please let me know in your review or message as well (with the meaning, if possible). I will appreciate it much. ^_^**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer : VF belongs to its Yamane Ayano. **

**Warnings : Tortures.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9. The Victims Of Evils<strong>

**Part 1. Some Things Are Worth The Risks**

Asami inhales the addicting smoke deep into his lungs. Closing his eyes to savor the familiar sensation, he lets the sweet taste of nicotine calms his anger. He almost lost his control in front of Akihito, and for that, he feels more anger towards himself than towards his naive boy.

He actually doesn't want to scare his lover by showing his evil self. Asami knows that the boy is frightened enough by Asami's world, even though Akihito has never admitted it out loud. He can see the battle within Akihito every time his young lover has to face a piece of reality of his cruel world. But so far, his boy always makes him proud by conquering his own fear.

Blowing the smoke leisurely, his anger slowly fades out. It is then that he realizes Suoh's glances in the rearview mirror. His bodyguard's face is full of concern.

"Is there anything you want to say, Suoh?"

Driving the Benz smoothly in the heavy traffic of Tokyo, Suoh doesn't take his attention away from the road as he answers, "I mean no disrespect, Sir, but are you sure you want to do the interrogation today? You look tired. Now that Takaba-sama has came back, you may want to rest for a bit."

Asami chuckles dryly at the advice. "My boy is so angry with me right now. I doubt he will let me rest."

"Does he know about the babies' identity, Sir?"

Asami exhales. "Not yet, Suoh. Right now, imparting such information won't be wise. It will push Akihito to the wrong direction. Handling my boy requires certain techniques and tricks. But it keeps me on my toes."

Suoh nods and remains silent for a while. A few minutes later, Asami hears his bodyguard carefully suggests with reluctance, "If it suits your fancy, should I drive you to one of the _other places_ where you can take some rest?"

Suoh doesn't dare to ask directly, but Asami understands the hidden meaning well. The _other_ _places_. With _other_ pretty girls or boys with light brown hair and hazelnut eyes. How many does he have right now? He can't remember. He takes a few drags of his cigarette while considering his options.

"Which one is the closest one right now, Suoh?"

There is a slight hesitance. Then the answer comes, "It is Emi, Asami-sama."

Ah, he almost forgets about the girl. Since the twins were born, he has no time to think about anything else but Akihito, his work, and their sons. He stops himself to repeat the last phrase slower: _their_ sons. He has never truly considered the twins as _their_ sons up until now. It feels...a little bit weird. But, it warms him in a way that he can't explain. It sounds like they are a real family now. Their sons bond Akihito with him, stronger and thicker than what any chain can do. And Asami doesn't hate the feeling that the idea creates deep within him.

"How is she, Suoh? I haven't seen her for a while."

"Based on the report that I receive everyday, she is well. But Haruka reported that Emi suddenly attacked her a few weeks a go. The reason is unclear. Kirishima plans to bring the girl to see doctor, but he hasn't been able to fit it into his schedule yet. Should I tell Kirishima to push the check up ahead?"

Asami can't blame Kirishima. His right hand man has practically spent all his energy and time to find Akihito and to take care of the twins while doing all his usual duties. They all need a break. And now that Akihito is back, hopefully everyone can relax a bit. At least, after they clean up the mess Akihito created.

"Leave her for now. I will deal with her personally once everything with Akihito has settled. Just tell her guards to pay more attention to her. Ask Kirishima to pamper her a bit, buy her some jewels, cars, clothes, or whatever it is the girl possibly wants. She deserves some rewards," he orders.

Something is off with the girl, but it doesn't change the fact that she has given him and Akihito two healthy baby boys. And for that, Asami feels surprisingly thankful. He is not sure why the girl attacked Haruka. For now, he decides to dismiss it. The girl must be emotional after giving birth. As long as she doesn't do anything stupid, he is willing to let her go with a generous amount of money in her bank account and a spacious house so she can live in luxury for the rest of her life.

"Understood, Asami-sama. Then, do you want to go to the other boy's place? Takumi's apartment is a bit further, but with this traffic it won't take more than 30 minutes."

"Let's just finish our business as soon as possible, Suoh. Then we both can go home and have our rest."

Right now, Asami doesn't want anyone else to comfort him. The only thing he desires is to go back to the warm embrace of his lover and their sons, which may be a bit difficult at the moment considering the boy's anger towards him.

* * *

><p>Asami doesn't feel surprise to find Feilong and Yoh in front of the warehouse where they keep Tao. What surprises him is the way Feilong immediately kneels and bows down so low until his forehead touches the dirty floor as soon as the man sees him coming. Yoh looks awkward for a while but he quickly follows Feilong's example. Looking down at what he considers as a ridiculous and useless act, Asami keeps his face devoid of all emotions.<p>

"Asami, have some mercy on Tao. My son is young and inexperienced. I had forbidden him to do any illegal business, hoping that he can live as an honest man unlike his father. But apparently he didn't listen to me. Now he made a stupid mistake by hiding your boy. He should have known better than challenging you. I am willing to do whatever it takes to compensate for your inconvenience as long as you can guarantee the safety of my men. Just, please, let my son live."

Asami can't stop the snort he makes. He notices Yoh's hands curl into tight balls as the man swallows his anger at Asami's rudeness. But Asami doesn't care. For the past year, Sion group has grown so strong that Feilong's power is nothing against his. Asami has to teach the world what will happen if someone dares to upset him. If he doesn't instill fear now, someone else may try to do it again. And the next time, he may not be so lucky to be able to get his family back.

"If you want him to live longer, you should have controlled him better, Feilong."

Feilong doesn't even lift his head up as he answers, "One day, you may be fortunate to be a father, Asami. Then you will realize that your child has his own thoughts, his own desires, and his own mistakes. You can never fully control your child. If I knew about his plan, I would have stopped him. What kind of a father am I if I let my son die before me, Asami? Please, let him live, for the sake of our years of friendship and alliance."

Feilong's words stop his next retort. His ally's voice is full with emotion. Asami stands there, staring down at the prideful man who pushes aside his own ego to safe his son. Asami knows very well that in other circumstances, Feilong will never do something like this. The man will rather die than bowing down to anyone; moreover to bow down to Asami.

And if this happened a few months ago, Asami would pay no heed to this kind of plea. Before, he never understood the sentiment between parents and their children. His own mother is a prostitute who doesn't even know who his father is. There is not much that Asami remembers about her. The woman didn't care about him, preferring the company of pathetic men who warmed her bed for just a single night. And when she finally abandoned him, Asami didn't feel anything. He doesn't know where she is now or whether she is still alive. And he doesn't feel the need to know.

But now, with his own sons sleeping at home, he can't help but feeling a little bit of sympathy towards his ally. If he can, he also won't let Rikiya and Naoyuki see the ruthlessness of his world. He wants to shelter them from the cruelty of life for as long as he is alive. However, it is simply impossible.

One of the many things that he learns in his life is that not everyone has the privilege of ignorance. And as his sons, Rikiya and Naoyuki will have none of it. As soon as his enemies find out about his sons, they will try to use them to get him. And his enemies are going to find out. There is no such thing as a secret in his world. If the ugly truth can save his sons from an early death, he will show the kids the darkest side of the world himself.

And refusing to teach Tao the rules of their world is the only mistake that Feilong did. But who can blame the man for trying to keep his son away from their dangerous world? Asami didn't want to give this kind of world to his own sons as well; a world where fathers watch their sons die for stupidity and sons kill their fathers for power. That is one of the main reasons that started his plan to let Akihito and his dog raising Rikiya and Naoyuki in a normal world. But now that he has a taste of how it feels to have a family of his own, he isn't sure he has the strength to see his lover and sons laughing in the embrace of another man.

It has been a very long time since the last time Asami felt unsure of what to say or what to do. So he puts Feilong's concern aside for now and decides to just follow his instinct. His loyal bodyguard follows right behind him as he enters the warehouse without another word.

* * *

><p>The dark hair boy sits in the middle of the dimmed warehouse. His hands are tied to the chair. His ankles are chained to the legs of his seat. His face is dirty with sweat, dried blood and scratches. His left eye is swollen. There is a deep cut at the edge of his lips. He is barefoot and naked but for his torn jeans. And Asami can see purplish bruises all over his well-built chest and stomach. But despite his pitiful condition, Tao sits as if he is a royal and stares at Asami with a strong and steady gaze.<p>

_Impressive_, the crime lord silently praises. Not many can stay calm in this situation. Most people will beg for their life as soon as he enters the room. He has to admit that Feilong's son has the guts. Unconsciously, he smiles at the thought of breaking this boy.

Based on the report that he received, Tao gave quite a fight when his men tried to capture the boy. More than half a dozen of Asami's men were shot in their vital organs. And the boy seriously injured a few others before they finally managed to bring him down. And the only thing that made the boy stop fighting was because Kirishima brought Feilong over to persuade the boy to submit. His ally didn't want all his men to end up butchered like Mikhail Arbatov's, and so, he gravely agreed to give his son up.

Asami takes his time to take his jacket coat off, draping it over a comfortable sofa near the door. After he rolled up his sleeves, he carefully removes the watch on his wrist. It was a gift from Akihito years a go, he doesn't want to break it. Finally, he takes a pack of cigarette from his pocket. Putting one in his mouth, he patiently waits while Suoh attentively lights it while Asami puts a nitrile gloves on. He quietly relishes a few satisfying drags of nicotine as he observes the young boy.

Tao doesn't say anything when Asami leisurely walks toward him. As per the usual procedure, his men have prepared a table full of instruments near the boy. A collection of various torturing devices, from different sizes of needles to numerous shapes of steel saws, is spread in such a way so that the person being interrogated can take a good look at each of them. It is more for psychological effect than practical purpose, really. Asami drags his fingers lazily on the table, slowly touching any tools nearby as if he is trying to make his choice.

"Stop pretending," the boy says calmly, "I know you have made your choice already."

Tilting his head, Asami replies amusedly, "Oh? And may I know what your guess is?"

Sighing, the boy answers in a bored flat tone, "I guess, it is your own hand. Right now, you want so much to feel how your hand can break my bone and rip my muscle up. You aren't so imaginative, aren't-"

And before the boy can fully complete his sentence, Asami hits Tao's stomach hard, though not with all his power. He doesn't want to tear Tao's intestine and send the boy early to death. Tao can't even groan. He gasps for breath and bends his body as much as he can before he throws up. Asami gives a signal to Suoh and the giant instantly throws a bucket of cold water to the boy, instantly cleaning all the mess.

"That's for giving the wrong answer," Asami tells the boy calmly before he grinds and stubs his cigarette on the back of Tao's left hand. "And this is for your cheeky attitude."

Tao doesn't even grunt at the pain. His fists tighten as he endures the burning sensation. He slowly looks up at Asami, his eyes are full with silent anger. Asami suspects that most of that anger is directed towards the boy himself rather than towards him. Right now, the boy must feel frustrated at himself for being helpless. But surprisingly, Tao manages to hide it better than most men older than him.

Throwing the cigarette away, he walks around the boy as he explains. "You are a smart boy, Tao. I have to admit that you impress me a lot. If Akihito didn't come out on his own, I would have never found him again."

He gently caresses the boy's scalp from behind before tugging the black locks roughly, forcing Tao to look up at him. Leaning down so their faces are separated only a few inches away, he asks, "So, I don't understand. Why did you make such a stupid move? Why do you try to challenge me? Is this your way to prove yourself to your father? Do you want him to approve your skills so bad?"

For a long moment, they just look at each other. Then the boy slowly smirks.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Asami Ryuichi? Because I am not intere-"

Asami hits Tao on the face. Bloods spill from the edge of Tao's lips and the boy leans forward until it looks like he is going to fall if the restrains doesn't stop him. But Asami pulls the boy's hair back, even rougher than before, and forces Tao to look at him in the eyes.

The boy growls low. "You won't understand, Asami. He is going to do it, with or without my help. But without my help, your enemies may find him and kill him. Unlike _some people_," the boy sneers sarcastically at him, "I hold friendship in high regard. It is not easy to find a true friend in our world. Some things are just worth the risks."

Asami releases the boy and Tao struggles to take a deep calming breath. Assessing the boy's injuries and behavior, Asami suspects that Tao has one or two broken ribs. But the boy quickly puts his mask of calmness and confidence on again, determined not to show his torturer any weakness.

In another 15 years, Asami hopes that his own sons can grow into strong and courageous young men, just like the one who now sits in front of him. If by that time, someone kills his sons, what will he do? Even now, he can't imagine it. He surely will kill anyone who dares to put their filthy hand on his sons. No. Let him amend it. He will torture and kill their loved ones in front of their eyes first before he kills them slowly. That he can guarantee.

Finally making a decision, he gives Suoh a brief order, "Bring Feilong inside. I want him to witness the punishment I give to his son directly."

And just like that, Tao loses all of his composure. The boy jerks his body in his useless fight to break free. His curses and shouts echo in the wide room.

"Fuck you, Asami Ryuichi! Isn't it enough to fucking kill me?! Do you have to add more to his pain?! He knows nothing about my crime! Leave my father alone, you fucking asshole! He is your friend and ally for years! Is this how you are going to repay his loyalty and trust?! By forcing him to watch his son die? You bastard, I pray that Akihito sees your true color so he will hate you to death! I swear, Asami Ryuichi, one day you will pay the price! Too bad I can't see your pathetic face when that happens!"

"Gag his mouth," he calmly orders one of his men who stand at the corner of the room.

When Feilong finally comes, the boy's calmness has broken into pieces. Both Tao's wrists bleed from trying to break free from his restrains. The boy screams uncompressible sounds through his gag, shaking his head in a soundless plea. Tears stream down his cheeks as he looks at his adopted father in regret.

Feilong freezes at the sight of his son. Asami observes how Feilong's hand turns into fists, so tight that it becomes pale white. But Feilong doesn't say anything. What else to say? He told Asami everything that might persuade the crime lord to release his son. And so far, it seems that nothing worked.

Feilong knows he can't challenge Asami. Not now. Not yet. He knows it will become a war that he will surely lose. He also knows that losing that war means sending all his men into their grave. And he can't do that to the thousands of men who relies their lives on him. If it is not for saving the live of his men, he will never let Asami treats his son like this. So he tries his best to pretend calm in front of Asami even though his heart feels like it will explode in unbearable anger. Mustering as much strength as he can, he tries to silently encourage his son, vowing wordless revenge and praying a quick painless death for the boy.

"Your son has offended me and so I have the right to punish him."

Feilong doesn't move his gaze from his son. He bits his lips until he can taste blood in his mouth, trying not to scream at his so-called-ally and give any more entertainment than necessary to the bastard.

"Therefore, I will take over all his businesses and routes. He will work for me, for years most probably. And during those times, he will learn how to grow strong and how to eliminate his enemies. I will teach him everything he needs to know to build his own power. And when I deem him ready to do his own dealing without repeating a stupid mistake like this, I will give back everything to him."

Before Asami finishes his sentences, both the boy and Feilong turn their heads abruptly towards him. Feilong's jaw hangs open as he gawks at Asami in disbelief. Asami simply smirks.

"Your boy has talents, Feilong. In fact, he is way too intelligent, astute, and cheeky to live a normal life as a salary man or even an honest businessman. You must be blind not to see it. If you don't want to teach him yourself, I will take him in and become his mentor. It is safer for him this way. But you and your son must know that I won't go easy on him. I am known for being a difficult boss and I will surely make him work to the bone. Maybe one day he will wish I killed him today instead of letting him live. And let that be his punishment for all the headaches he gave me."

The relief he sees in Tao's eyes are so transparent that he can't help but smile. No matter how hard the boy pretends to be mature, he is still just a child. Feilong's son is not even legal to drink and smoke yet.

Thankful that his son escapes death, Feilong walks quickly to hug his son, gently releasing the gag while Tao struggles to breath to gain his composure back. Asami waves his hand to tell Suoh to remove the restrains on Tao's wrists and ankles. And as soon as his son is free and safe, Feilong strides to Asami. Kneeling gracefully, his ally puts a respectful kiss at the back of Asami's hand.

"Hong Kong and China will always be your ally for as long as I and my son live, Asami Ryuichi. We will stand by your side even when no one else will. That I promise you."

And with that promise, Asami seals the deal that will ease his sons' path to his world. He is sure by now that there is no way he will let another man to raise Rikiya and Naoyuki. He and Akihito will take care of their sons together. There will be risks. But indeed, some things are just worth the risks.

And to do so, he needs as many allies as he can get. If he kills Tao today, it is just a matter of time until Feilong betrays him. By saving Tao's life and taking the boy under his wings, not only he has successfully eliminated a future threat towards his little family but he has also strengthened his power by creating a stronger alliance with the Chinese triad.

Asami notices that Liu Feilong grows soft with age. Ever since they are still enemies, Feilong has often made decisions based on his emotion rather than his logic. It makes Feilong easy to be manipulated. And in his opinion, those are the reasons why Baishe stops growing stronger in the past few years.

But Feilong's adopted son is a completely different case from his father. Despite his unconditional love to Feilong, Liu Tao is fiercer, shrewder, and less emotional. In a way, the boy reminds Asami of himself when he was young. Asami can see that Tao will make a very strong leader one day. And when the time comes for Tao to take over his father's organization, his sons will have a very powerful ally by their side.

Besides, it is much easier to make sure that Tao and Akihito don't have any sort of romantic relationship if he keeps the black hair boy close to his side. Satisfied with the result, Asami sighs. Now, he has another _boy_ that needs to be taught some manners back at home.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. The Imitation and The Original<strong>

Emi is terribly disappointed. Oh yes, she is so disappointed that she feels like tearing someone apart. It doesn't even take half an hour before Mariko starts spilling everything. Emi truly hopes that Akihito will last much longer.

The electricity shock works wonder. Chained helplessly to the wooden table as she screams her pain in agony, Mariko quickly tells Emi everything she knows about Akihito. Where the boy met her brother, how they met, how long their relationship was, what she thought about Akihito the first time she met him, how Akihito treated her children so kindly and got the affection of her parents so quickly, how her brother suddenly told her that Akihito wanted to break up half a year a go, how devastating his brother was since Akihito disappeared, blah blah blah.

From what she gathers so far, it is quite interesting to know that her master is actually interested with someone who is in an honest relationship. Especially since her master is willing to go as far as letting this Akihito to keep that dull man as his boyfriend for so long. Maybe, this Akihito is too boring that her master didn't want to keep the boy for himself. The boy may be just a light snack in between meals. She starts to question herself whether she really needs to spend effort to kill the boy.

Of course, with her master's charm, no one can resist the temptation no matter how honest he is, not even this Akihito. Even Emi can feel that her heart melts every time she looks at her powerful master. And heaven knows that only one or two things in this world that can do that to her. Unfortunately, none of that information will help Emi to get the boy.

She hums softly as she increases the voltage and Mariko shouts at the top of her lungs.

"STOP IT! Please, I told you everything that I know! PLEASE! Turn it OFF, PLEASE!"

The woman shrieks and begs and struggles in her restrains, fighting in hopeless attempt to avoid the jolts of electricity that shots from her wrists, her ankles, the tips of her every finger and some of her more private parts. Tears, sweats and mucus cover Mariko's face. But what Emi likes about electricity shots is that it is relatively clean. Nothing will stain her expensive clothes. After a while, she reduces the electricity power to a more bearable pain.

"It is not up to me to stop the pain, Mariko-san. It is up to you. Give me valuable information, and I will end your misery. I promise," she tells Mariko in sweet innocent voice.

"I told you everything. Please, let me go. Please, I beg you," Mariko cries as her body shakes from the constant aches.

"Now, I want you to search everywhere in your brain, Mariko. Find something that will make me happy and I will release you."

That is the only warning Mariko gets before Emi increase the voltage once again and extreme pain shots through her body. Actually, the whole process is so boring for Emi. Emi starts the pain, waits for a few minutes, reduces it, and asks questions. Then everything repeats all over again. She almost falls asleep sometime in between Mariko's screams.

But after a few rounds, Emi smiles as Mariko starts to mumble something that may be useful. Finally.

"I saw him...Akihito...he walked in this elite neighborhood... with groceries..."

Oh, Emi remembers this. She followed Mariko around. But when Mariko entered the condominium building, Emi couldn't because she didn't have the access. So, she didn't know what happened inside.

"How did you manage to go inside?" she ask nicely in curiosity while trailing Mariko's cheek gently.

"...cleaning...I...I work for a cleaning agency...have some clients at that building," Mariko answers as she trembles by Emi's tender touches.

_Poor woman_, Emi thinks. She can't help but pity Mariko. _If it is not because of this Akihito boy, this woman doesn't need to go through all this pain. That boy is a pure evil to put so many people in misery. _

"Ah, I see," she replies with a warm smile to encourage the woman to talk more. "And what did you see inside, Mariko-san?"

Mariko sobs but she doesn't try to get away from her touches anymore. The woman doesn't have strength left to resist her. Emi shakes her own head. _What a weakling._

"...I saw...I saw Akihito...he went to...to this lift...you see...the building has a special lift reserved for the penthouse...and he went into this lift...then I couldn't follow him anymore..."

Emi is stunned, "That's it? I wait so patiently and this is all that you can tell me?"

"Wait! Wait, please!" Sensing her displeasure, Mariko quickly tries to stop her. She swallows quickly before she tells Emi the rest.

"I asked around...I was so curious so I asked around. Another cleaning lady told me that she cleaned that penthouse weekly before. She...she told me that the penthouse was empty since she was assigned to clean it around three years a go. Maybe more, she couldn't remember. But the owner was a bit eccentric, she said. There are certain things that she must clean but must not move. And there is this one bedroom that she must make sure that everything stays at the same place."

"So, she can't move anything?"

Mariko shakes her head vigorously. Her eyes are wide in fear that she may say the wrong things. So, Emi shows her good grace by nodding warmly. She even smiles beautifully to encourage the poor woman to continue.

"Not even a piece of paper. She explained that there were receipts on the desk in that bedroom. But the owner's secretary instructed that she must not throw those receipts away. She could move it for a while to clean the desk, but she must put it back to where it was. She told me she couldn't even throw away anything inside the trash bin. She must clean it carefully, but everything that had been there, must stay there."

"Why? What for?"

"I...I don't know. I swear. Please. She told me that her agency suddenly informed her to stop cleaning the penthouse around a year ago. She was not sure why. But since then, she said, sometimes she saw a blond boy came to use that lift. So she thought the owner might hire another cleaning agency to clean the penthouse. But she couldn't be sure; the boy didn't look like he was a cleaning service. But she also knew that the boy didn't live there permanently. Sometimes, she didn't see him for weeks or months."

"So, this blond boy, am I correct to assume that he is Takaba Akihito?" Emi asks carefully, thinking while tapping her pretty finger on the woman's shoulder. Mariko shudders but quickly nods her confirmation.

"Is there anything else I should know, Mariko-san?"

"..."

"Mariko-san? Please, do not disappoint me anymore," she chastises her sternly as if she talks to a little girl instead of a woman.

"...I...the man...the receptionist in the lobby...we often talk when I come there...he has worked in that building for almost ten years..."

"Oh? And?"

"...he...he told me...that...that Akihito lived there before..."

"When? When exactly was it?" Emi needs to confirm. Her hand brushes the electricity panel and lingers there for a while.

"I don't know! I truly don't know! Please...He just told me that it was more than three or four years ago. He didn't remember when exactly it was..."

Three or four years a go? It was earlier than when her master started collecting light brown hair boys and girls. Emi knows for sure because one of those girls called Misaki mentioned it to her before Emi killed her. It seemed that Misaki was one of the earliest version in her master's collection.

"Then?"

"...the receptionist told me...a few years ago, the blond boy suddenly stopped coming. He didn't know why. And then the owner of the penthouse also didn't come much anymore for years. Not until around a year a go. Then he started seeing the owner and the blond boy again. Around two months a go, one of the owner's staffs even brought two babies in. It seemed that the woman didn't notice that he heard the babies' cry from his desk. He hadn't seen the blond boy for a few months now, he said. But he also said that sometimes it happened. Besides, the owner still came regularly. So he didn't pay much attention. He didn't know Akihito's name, though. So...so he always called him..."

"...called him what?" Emi pushes impatiently.

"...he called Akihito using the family name of the penthouse's owner. He called him...Asami-san. I didn't...I couldn't tell my brother. Akihito was a good kid. I tried to convince myself that he had to have a strong reason to go there. Maybe the owner was his family or something. I wanted to ask Akihito myself before saying anything to Arata. But then he suddenly disappeared."

Emi freezes. She thought her heart must have stopped beating for a while because her entire body feels so cold. What does this entire information mean? Does this mean that the boy is not the same with the other boys and girls? Which one is the original and which one is the imitation? He can't be the original, can he? But the fact that the boy had lived with her master even before her master started collecting the boys and girls with light brown hair and hazelnut eyes and the fact that her master brought her sons to that penthouse, what does it mean?

And the way the receptionist calls the boy Asami-san? If it is one from his famous collection, she knows her master will shoot the receptionist dead and punish the boy or girl for not correcting the mistake. Up until now, Emi thinks that she will be the first one who gets the honor of being called Asami-san since she is the one who survives to give her master heirs.

But maybe she is wrong to assume the owner of the penthouse is her master. From Mariko's story, the owner seems to be so different from the unforgiving and ruthless master that she knows. Maybe it is a relative of her master. Yes, it must be it.

Emi can't recognize her own voice as she forcefully asks the shaking woman, "What is the name of the owner, Mariko?!"

"Asami Ryuichi! He told me the owner is a zillionaire...a businessman named Asami Ryuichi. Please, I don't know anything else! Let me go! Please, I beg you."

* * *

><p>It is almost 7PM when Akihito calls him. Asami smiles as he answers his phone, expecting a full lash of anger from his boy. But as always, Akihito surprises him. The boy's tone is quite civil as he complains, "You know, if you want me to take care two babies, you should tell me their names, at the very least. I can't keep calling them Boy No. 1 and Boy No. 2."<p>

Asami chuckles, "The older one is Rikiya. The younger one is Naoyuki. They have bracelets with their names engraved, if you pay more attention."

There are some noises on the other end of the phone as the boy makes a quick check.

"Geez, the name is engraved on the inside of the bracelet and it is so small. How do you expect me to notice it?" His boy pouts.

"Well, I don't expect you to notice it," he replies with an amused tone. _I expect you to call me to ask for it_, he adds silently.

"So, no last name? Do you just pick them up somewhere?"

Asami can hear suspicion in his boy's question. Akihito is smart. His boy will connect the dots soon. Asami knows he can't keep avoiding this issue for long. But he tries to drag it, nevertheless.

"Why? Don't you like them? Should I tell Kirishima to throw them away?"

"They aren't some garbage that you can just throw away, bastard! I just want to know whether they have family searching for them at the moment! I won't take any part in kidnapping!"

He grins, "As far as I know, they have no family _searching_ for them."

There is silent and Asami starts to wonder whether his boy somehow guesses the truth sooner than he expects. Then he hears Akihito sighing.

"Poor babies."

"Anything else, Akihito?"

The boy grumbles and mutters, "What time will you be home today?"

Ah, Asami can guess the boy's problem by now. But the crime lord feigns ignorance. It is entertaining to see his boy fumes. "Do you miss me already?"

"No way!" his boy's answer is quick and loud. There is hesitance. Akihito's voice sounds unsure as he mumbles, "But I made dinner. It won't taste good if it is cold."

Oh, the boy is trying to lie to him, isn't he? Asami smirks in enjoyment.

"Don't worry. I am sure everything you made will taste good even after it is microwaved."

"Argh, fine! I want to take a bath, okay? I feel sweaty and dirty after all that running through the airport you made me did and a few hours flight back to Tokyo. And your goons don't want to release the chains for me. They are afraid to even touch or look at me as if I have some kind of diseases! How can I take off my clothes with the chains on my wrists and ankles?"

Asami bursts into laugh.

"Stop laughing, bastard!"

"That, Akihito, is a problem I believe I can solve quickly. Actually, I am on the way home already. I will strip you out of your clothes in 10 minutes."


	10. Chapter 10 Priorities

**Hi,**

**This chapter is divided into two parts (though I don't truly divide it into parts here). The first one tells a story of Akihito and Asami's _regular friday_ _dinner_ and it happened months before Akihito went shopping with Haruka (chapter 7). The second part tells about what Akihito does when Asami is away interrogating Tao. I was not sure about this chapter and actually almost deleted it. But I quite like it so I decided to keep it.**

**Next chapter, it will be all about Asami and Aki and their two babies. And some lemons. Between Asami and Aki, of course. Not with the babies. :P**

**Disclaimer : VF belongs to its respective author.**

**Warning : Lengthy chapter, as usual. And I do apologise for the grammar mistakes, misspelling, etc.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10. Priorities<strong>

_I stood nervously in the middle of the luxurious hotel lobby after one wedding shot, facing the biggest dilemma in my life._

_Damn it, Asami! I thought you said that everything had been taken care of! But looked what happened! I knew I shouldn't have trusted the bastard._

_Everything started in the afternoon when Asami decided that he didn't want to miss our regular Friday dinner just because I suddenly had a wedding to shoot that night. The lovely couple already told me that they could get an extra hotel room for me. But Asami being the great Asami Ryuichi refused to stay in a common deluxe room, even if it was a deluxe room in one of the most expensive five stars hotels in Tokyo. So he told me to cancel the booking and ordered Kirishima to book the presidential suite in the same hotel and to have a table ready for the two of us in the famous romantic restaurant located on the top floor of the hotel._

_Which was the reason why I was in his office that same afternoon, arguing in great details about how the wedding was scheduled to be held until very late at night and how the couple wanted another post-wedding photo session around the hotel the next morning and how there wouldn't be any time for us to do ANYTHING else but sleep. When he ignored me and kept reading his business thingy, I continued my reasoning that it was such a waste to spend so much money booking a suite just to sleep for a few hours. _

_"The couple told me they could provide an extra room, anyway. But I know it won't meet your standard. The room is so plain and boring. So, you see, you don't have to force yourself to accompany me just for a few hours. I completely understand if you want to enjoy your evening in the comfort of your condo. And imagine how much money you can save if you don't book that suite. See? It is a win-win solution. You can save some money for your business, while I can do my work-"_

_"Akihito, should I buy the entire hotel now just to shut you up?" He didn't even lift his eyes from the papers that he read as he cut my blabbering. Asami looked annoyed since I told him that I couldn't make it to our dinner because of work. And I knew that his patience grew thinner the more I tried to persuade him to cancel our plan._

_Okay, I had to make a confession here. I actually took this wedding shot on purpose. When I found out that the couple wanted to hire me from Friday night until Saturday afternoon, I grabbed the opportunity to avoid our regular Friday dinner right away. I was tired of waking up on Saturday morning with all the guilt for failing to refuse this selfish love affair churning inside my stomach. _

_I thought Asami would be more understanding if I told him that I wanted to cancel our dinner because of work. Wasn't there a rule that couple should be supportive of each other's work or something? Arata and I wouldn't complain if we had to cancel our plan because the other got work to do. And heaven knew how many times Arata and I did that lately. I had lost count already. At least, we wouldn't complain out loud and book a ridiculously expensive presidential suite just so we could stick to our plan. But as usual, Asami didn't react like how the other millions of human beings on earth would._

_I sighed and tried to argue one last time. "Asami, I really won't have time to have dinner with you. And what's the purpose of spending so much money for a presidential suite if we can't take our time to enjoy it?"_

_"Fine. Kirishima, change the booking. Extend it until Sunday so my dear Akihito can take his time to enjoy the suite. Adjust my schedule accordingly."_

_Kirishima just nodded respectfully while I gawked at Asami in disbelief. Was this man crazy? Why did every time I try to lead him to one point, he just went the other way? _

_"Asami, I can't do that! What will I tell Arata? I don't want to lie to him anymore!" I blurted without thinking._

_He finally looked at me. His irritation was clearly written on his handsome face. He didn't even look at his secretary as he calmly issued a new order. "Kirishima, tell Takagi that I would need him in Osaka by tonight. And give him something to keep him busy there until Monday morning at the very least."_

_I was speechless._

_"Now, I am sure everything is taken care of then. Or do you have any other concern, Akihito?" His voice didn't show any emotion, but I knew he was pissed beyond reason already. The more I tried to make him agreeing, the more he would issue unbelievable orders just to show me that he could do that. If I argued more, I would just make everything worse. So, I shook my head resentfully._

_"No, Asami-sama," I sneered angrily at him, "I don't have any more concern."_

_"Good," he said coolly and continued to read his stupid paperwork._

_And that was why I now fidgeted in the hotel lobby, sweating nervously because one of my best friends apparently was a close cousin of the bride and now he wanted to stay with me in my hotel room for the night. _

_"Come on, Aki. It will be fun! We haven't spent much time together lately. And since my dear cousin Maria, has paid the room, let's enjoy it to our heart content."_

_Maria hit Kou playfully, laughing along with her new husband. I was sure that I stared at my best friend with a completely blank expression because my brain chose that exact moment to stop working. _

_The problem was I already told Maria that I would book the room myself. I thought that I could use the cash she gave me plus my photography fee to contribute to the presidential suite Asami booked. At least this way, I wouldn't feel like I was a whore visiting her customer's hotel room in the middle of the night. _

_Of course, Kirishima snorted rudely as soon as he saw the amount of money I passed him. But he accepted it nevertheless, telling me that he would make the booking under my name so I could rest as soon as possible. So, now, I didn't have any room but the presidential suite that I would share with Asami, and I didn't have any money to book another room. How could I tell my best friend that I would stay in a ridiculously expensive presidential suite that was clearly out of my budget just because my selfish secret lover didn't want to cancel our supposedly secret dinner no matter what?_

_"It is a good idea, Takaba-san. Tomorrow the four of us can have breakfast together before you take our photo," Maria pleasantly tried to persuade me. "I will make sure Kou help bringing your equipment during the photo session."_

_"Umm," I tried to reject the offer diplomatically, "I don't think it is nice of us to bother a newlywed. You must want to have time together as much as you can. We shouldn't disturb your breakfast."_

_The couple just laughed as they helped Kou dragging me to the check in counter._

_"Oh please, Kou and I have always been close since we were young. It will be nice to have some time with him before I move abroad. My husband works in Hong Kong so I will move there to be with him," Maria explained along the way as she winked her eye to me._

_"Excuse me, can you please check a booking under the name of Takaba Akihito?" Kou asked the lady behind the check in counter. _

_I could feel cold sweat streaming down my back. But before the lady asked for my identification card, there was a commotion from the entrance of the hotel. Everyone turned around to see what was happening. _

_And there he was. Asami Ryuichi. Looking as strikingly hot in an elegant way as ever. He wore a black custom-made stylish coat with a nicely matched dark blue scarf around his neck. The color accentuated his silky black hair and the golden color of his eyes. And everyone inside the lobby gawked at the sexy crime lord wrapped in all those expensive fabrics. Everyone. Including the beautiful bride who stood right beside me. I could practically see Maria drooling over Asami and I felt a surprising urge to yell at her, "Move on, you just got married less than three hours a go. He is mine!" But when I glanced at her new husband, the young man also stared at my lover as he fixed his jacket to cover his tented pant. I shook my head. Indeed, tonight Asami radiated stronger aura of power, wealth and danger. And all those just made him looked sexier, attracting every man and woman like moth to flames. _

_Asami stood there arrogantly, obiously was not oblivious to all the attention given to him but didn't care enough about these people to show any kind of reaction. His eyes scanned the room quickly until he found me. I saw him giving a subtle order to Kirishima and his right hand man immediately walked towards me._

_"Aki, isn't that the man who picked you up after our new year party?" Kou asked behind me curiously._

_I gulped. Great, things were just going to get worse._

_Kirishima, blessed his heart, noticed that something was wrong as soon as he recognized Kou. When the man approached, he asked carefully, "Takaba-sensei, is everything okay?"_

_"..sensei?" Kou asked in confusion._

_Now I got Kou, Maria, and her husband stared at me in wonder. And it just made me even more nervous._

_"Ummmm," I murmured noncommittally, "yes?"_

_Kirishima's gaze at me was sharp before he looked at the lady behind the counter, who, of course, was also drooling over Asami. She blushed and quickly gave me back her attention, "Sorry, Sir. May I have your ID card to confirm your booking?"_

_I waved my hand in an awkward gesture, "Oh, ummm, you mean...like identification card? Like the identification card that we use to identify ourselves?"_

_She looked at me as if I was an idiot. What? It was better to look like an idiot rather than having my best friend found out that I made a booking for a fucking presidential suite to accommodate my goddamn love affair. But Kirishima realized the situation quickly._

_"Takaba-sensei, I know you are tired. But I am afraid Asami-sama doesn't have much time in his schedule. It will be great if we can have our discussion first before you go to your room," he gave me an excuse._

_I gladly turned around to face Kirishima. I was sure he could see relief written all over my face because he looked at me with some sort of concern in his eyes._

_"Discussion? Oh, oh, yeah sure! The discussion! Well, we can't make the great Asami Ryuichi waits for long, can we? Shall we go now so we can discuss, ummm, you know, whatever it is we want to discuss?"_

_I heard a familiar laugh from behind Kirishima. Asami chuckled so unreservedly that even I was surprised._

_"Oh, I am very sorry for this," he casually said to Kou, Maria, and her husband. The newly wedded couple instantly melted at Asami's deep baritone voice. "It has been a tough day but seeing the animated Takaba-sensei always brings laughter back to me."_

_The couple automatically assured him that it didn't matter, that they understood, blah blah blah. But Kou just stood silently, watching Asami in suspicion. I couldn't blame him. In my humble opinion, that was what everyone should do every time they saw Asami. Asami introduced himself briefly; hardly giving any information more than what was necessary. And my companions introduced themselves so excitedly. Well, two did that excitedly. One did that with a frown. _

_"Takaba-sensei, shall we go now? It will take some time to discuss the full detail of the project. And it is getting late already," Asami's voice pulled me out of my intense observation of Kou._

_"Then I will just wait in your room, Aki," Kou quickly told me._

_"I am afraid that the discussion may take some time," Asami lied smoothly. "I may need to take Takaba-sense somewhere else to show him some proofs."_

_"Proofs?" Maria asked curiously._

_"Oh, haven't Takaba-sensei informed you that he once worked as a photojournalist for criminal section? We are working for government's project right now." Asami tilted his head as if he was truly wondering whether I had told them or not._

_Maria and her husband were so enchanted with Asami that they enthusiastically asked in detail about the thrill of my past experience as a crime photojournalist. She even squealed in interest as Asami smoothly described my 'current project', a nicely altered conspiracy story that I knew he copied from an old detective novel. I saw Suoh reading the novel once and I asked what it was about. But apparently, Asami's trick worked. Everyone was distracted from our previous topic and for a while I thought my best friend would simply forget the idea of waiting in my room. Then Kou interrupted the easy conversation and I started fidgeting again._

_"I thought you quitted crime photography, Aki. You told me that it was dangerous and you didn't want it to affect your _relationship_ with Arata." Raising his eyebrow, he put meaningful emphasize as he mentioned the word 'relationship'._

_I hoped a hole would open up and I silently prayed that it would swallow me whole. I didn't know what to say. My mind was blank and I looked at anywhere else but my best friend. My breathing increased and my heart rate jumped suddenly. I felt that everything moved slower around me. And everyone talked louder to my ears. I started to sweat heavily and my instinct told me to run away from this damn hotel as soon as possible._

_The next thing I knew, Asami moved casually to stand beside me. Our arms were separated a few millimeters away and he didn't touch me. But I could feel the warmth of his body. The smell of his familiar cologne with a hint of his usual cigarettes filled my brain and, amazingly, it slightly calmed my mind down._

_"Takaba-sensei did. But I asked his favor and he kindly accepted. I am very sorry to ask this, but do you happen to know Takagi-san as well?"_

_Kou looked surprised, "Do you know Takagi Arata?"_

_Showing his perfect smile, Asami answered easily, "What a small world. Of course, I do. I believe I know this happy couple quite well. They always look so sweet together I can't help but tease them from time to time."_

_Normally, I would snort at Asami's blatant lie. But I felt so detached with reality now that I just nodded absentmindedly from behind Asami's broad shoulders, secretly hoping that I could lean on him and inhale more of the intoxicating aroma of his body._

_Asami smartly talked about Arata with Kou for a while, telling a funny anecdote about something Arata did at the office and, in the same time, making Arata a sort of hero in front of all this people. And everyone truly laughed at his story. Just like that, Kou didn't look at Asami suspiciously anymore. He still observed Asami's every movement, but he didn't say anything else that might reveal my secret. _

_When Asami finally asked me to leave for the restaurant, Kou didn't try to stop me. Maria frowned, though, and innocently asked, "The famous restaurant on the top floor? I thought it is already closed for the day."_

_Leading me with a strong and reassuring grip at my elbow, Asami smirked. "Is it? I am sure they will make an exception once in a while." And I knew he wasn't bragging. He simply stated the fact._

_"Um, I will wait for both of you in the lobby tomorrow morning, Maria-san, Himuro-san. 9AM, okay? Bye, Kou! I promise I will call you soon," I told them in a more steady voice before I left._

_Once Asami and I were inside the lift, Kirishima passed my lover our room cards. I didn't even notice when Kirishima checked us in. Too busy trying to hide my secret, I guess. Suoh and Kirishima stood inside the lift, facing away from us as they blocked other people from coming inside. _

_As soon as the door closed with the familiar 'ding' sound, I grabbed Asami's jacket and bring him down roughly to kiss him. I didn't know what got into me. I meant, Kirishima and Suoh were there, standing only a few feet away from us. And I just experienced one of the most frightening incidents since I quitted crime photography. But instead of feeling any fear or guilt, I felt horny. I grinded my arousal desperately against Asami's thigh as he held me around my waist and thrust his tongue deep into my throat, kissing me brutally. _

_"Asami...I don't know...I...why...," I sobbed as I gasp for breath. His face was so near that we practically breathed the very same air._

_"Adrenaline rush," he calmly explained. "Your adrenaline is pumping right now. Everyone has different triggers. It is natural. Nothing is wrong with you."_

_As he leaned down to lick my jawline, I bit his neck hard in frustration. I wanted his bare skin against mine. I wanted to taste his cum in my mouth. I wanted his cock deep inside me. Frantically, my hand pried to his pant, but his hand halted my movement. I looked up at him sullenly. I could feel his erection poking my stomach. So, what was his problem now? Didn't he want this too? Wasn't he the one who stubbornly insisted that we kept our regular Friday affair? _

_"Kirishima," that was the only thing that he said as he stared at me._

_"Understood, Asami-sama," Kirishima answered without looking back._

_What was this? How did Kirishima understand what Asami wanted just with that single word? Did they talk in a telepathy mode now? A strong wave of jealousy exploded inside me. Out of the edge of my eyes, I noticed Kirishima pressed a button on the lift panel as he took his phone out. I heard another 'ding' sound. But I didn't care. Everything else around me faded out into the background. Right now, the only thing I wanted was to show Asami that it was me who was with him. Not Kirishima. Not Suoh. Not everyone else who blatantly gawked at him as they worshipped his body secretly inside their pervert imagination._

_I stripped out of my clothes provocatively at him, ignoring the two bulky men who stood behind me. Asami smirked sensually at my unusual advances. He leaned on the lift wall and crossed his arms, obviously enjoying my show. I couldn't miss the hard-on in his pants or the way his eyes lit when I teased him by brushing my fingers lightly across my naked chest down to my stomach. His lustful eyes followed every movement of my hand. And when I reached my underwear, I took my time to take it off, enjoying the way he fucked me with his eyes as I revealed more and more of my bare skin._

_As soon as I was naked, I strode towards him, my hard cock was on display for him to enjoy. Circling my hands around his neck, I forced him to slightly bow down as I kissed him desperately, grinding our erections together. And he kissed me back even harder. I would have swollen lips tomorrow. But at that moment, I couldn't care less even if he decided to kill me there. He let me stripped him out of his coat. I trembled with an uncontrollable desire to touch his naked skin._

_When I felt the bulge of his gun behind his wool jacket, my hand stopped moving for a while. But he grabbed my chin in a rough but reassuring grip and forced me to look at him in the eyes. His left hand rested firmly around my waist. He didn't say anything else. His gold eyes pinned me in his embrace. And it was enough to erase all my doubt. I quickly removed his gun holster and the rest of his shirt. Before I moved to his pants, he positioned my back against the wall. His hands rested on both sides of my head, trapping me. _

_I looked at the powerful man in front of me. Asami in his stylish suit was truly breathtaking. But Asami dressed in nothing but his pants as he suggestively stared at my body was a sight to behold. The dimmed light inside the luxurious lift highlighted each flex and roll of his muscles. And I swallowed hungrily at the idea that this sexy creature wanted me._

_Licking and sucking my neck, he lifted my left leg, holding it with his strong arm while putting out his hard cock with the other hand. Spitting into his palm, he did a quick trick with his fingers to prepare me. And not long after, he penetrated me in a slow steady speed while thrusting his tongue frantically into my mouth._

_"Move...faster, bastard," I complained at him when he finally gave me time to breath._

_He snickered as he whispered low in my ear. "Oh, so impatient today, aren't we."_

_I blushed. But then Asami thrust hard. And fast. And it melted my last brain cell that enabled me to think about embarrassment. I panted and moaned, muttering wordless requests so he moved even faster and harder. He shoved his huge cock into me like a wild man, holding our bodies hard together until I was almost tiptoeing. _

_Tonight, I felt that my senses were dramatically heightened. And the stimulation he gave me multiplied into the point of insanity. So, when his cock touched that erogenous spot deep inside me, I howled loudly. My knees went weak, and his solid embrace was the only thing that kept me standing as I held onto him for my dear life. I wanted to cum. I wanted to touch my own cock, but our position didn't allow me. I was practically at his mercy._

_"Asami," I held his head in my arms tightly, "Please!"_

_He bit my nipple roughly and sucked it hard. And that was what sent me over the sharp edge of orgasm. Everything was blinding white for a while and I felt him thrusting into me a few more times before his warm sticky liquid filled me. Then it was all black._

* * *

><p><em>When I woke up, I found myself in the middle of an enormous bed, as comfortable as the one Asami had in his penthouse. A thick soft blanket kept me warm. But I was alone. Where was I? I noticed the hotel logo on some stationary at the bedside table and I realized that I must be in the presidential suite Asami booked. I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was still half past three in the morning. But I could hear some people were talking (or shouting, to be exact) from another room.<em>

_Unable to find my clothes anywhere, I wrapped myself with the thin sheet I found in the bed. In the small lounge outside the bedroom, I saw Kirishima sat in a couch, silently reading a newspaper. He looked up when he heard me coming._

_"Kirishima? Where is Asami?" I asked in confusion._

_"In the office room in this suite. He has a meeting right now. Your new fresh clothes are on that table." He pointed the table across him. "Get dressed. You can take a bath if you want. After that, you must eat something. I will tell the room service to bring in the food now. You must be very hungry by now considering you didn't have dinner."_

_After I took a bath and dressed in clean clothes, I did feel hungry. Kirishima watched me stuffing all the delicious food into my mouth as he accompanied me for the very late dinner._

_"How come he has meeting at three in the morning? Who will come to such a meeting anyway? If my boss asks me to do that, I will tell him to go to hell," I asked in between the food._

_Kirishima sipped his own cup of coffee before he answered simply, "Well, people who want to keep their life will come."_

_I frowned at his answer. "If he was so busy that he needed to held a meeting at the wee hours, why didn't he just agree to cancel our dinner? It would save the both of us all the trouble. In the end, we didn't go to dinner, anyway."_

_For a long while, Kirishima looked at me as if I was truly an idiot and he wasted his time by talking to me. And when he didn't say anything after a few minutes, even I started to believe that I might be an idiot because I didn't understand why he treated me like one._

_"Okay, unfortunately, I can't read your mind like Asami do. So, unless you explain to me, I won't understand."_

_Now Kirishima looked confused, "What make you think that Asami-sama can read my mind?"_

_"Well, he just needed to say 'Kirishima' and you knew what he wanted. And I believe it is vice versa," I muttered with a pout._

_He snorted, "Brat, YOU just need to look at him and he will know what YOU want. And vice versa. Both of you doesn't even need to say anything to know that the other wants to fuck like bunnies. Is that jealousy I heard in your voice?"_

_I blushed, "I am not jealous!"_

_He shrugged, "Yeah, whatever you want to believe. If what you meant is the way he ordered me in the lift before, there is a simple explanation. He wanted to tell me to stop the lift, put it in emergency mode, call the security to turn off the CCTV inside that lift, and be on guard outside the lift. Or are you an exhibitionist and you wanted to give a free show to the men watching in the security room? If that is so, I will happily make sure that the security can watch all your action from the best possible angle in the future."_

_I stare at him in disbelief, "Then, why didn't Asami just say so?"_

_Kirishima sighed, "You were high with adrenaline. He didn't want to say anything that can make you even more unstable. Didn't you notice how you get upset just because he called my name? What would you think if he explained all that when your emotion weren't stable?"_

_His answer made me speechless._

_"Listen, brat. It may not be my place to say this, but he deeply cares for you. Every time you are around, your safety and wellbeing is always his top priority. Do you think he will spend effort to distract you curious friends and talk your way out of trouble if he doesn't care? If it were someone else, he would just shot the person dead. That was how I could guess what he wanted when he called me in the lift. Whenever you are there with him, the only thing he wants is just to keep you safe." He paused. "And as for why he didn't want to cancel your dinner?"_

_I remained silent because suddenly I was not sure I really wanted to hear the answer. But Kirishima ignored my discomfort and kept explaining mercilessly._

_"Have you ever realized that he always has time for you no matter how busy he is at work? I am the one who arranges his entire schedule, brat. And trust me, I knew for sure that he has never broken a promise to you. He employs millions of people, leads multiple businesses in many different countries, and practically rules an empire that reaches over the five continents. But surprisingly a freelance photographer can be much busier than him that you need to cancel your weekly dinner appointment because of work. This is just my humble opinion; you can just ignore it if you want. But when you start prioritizing other things before your partner, you may want to be careful. Maybe it is time for you to reconsider whether you truly care about your partner."_

* * *

><p>Half an hour since Asami left me alone with the two babies, I still feel upset. But being upset won't improve the situation<em>. <em>

_Fix it one by one, Akihito. Don't take everything at once._

Okay, first, Mariko.

I try to open the front door. It is not locked. But three bodyguards in their neat black suits block my way out, watching my every movement as if I will suddenly jump and eat them alive. When I pop my head further out of the front door, I notice that there are another five guards looking at me from the foyer and another two guards standing in front of the lift. And I am sure there will be more downstairs.

Wow, Asami must have gone crazy. Ten bodyguards just to make sure that I don't leave? Especially after he chained my wrists and ankles?

Realizing that it is a futile attempt to go through the front door, I go back inside and close the door. Even if I can trick a few guards, I won't be able to pass all of them. There is also no way I can go from the balcony, unless I can fly. I sigh. It seems that I am stuck inside for the day.

Another option is to call Arata. But if Asami finds out, he won't be so happy. And it is not wise to make him unhappy after our quarrel this morning. _Think, Akihito._ _There must be a way to contact Arata without alerting Asami. I just need to carefully tiptoe behind Asami's back._

I grab the landline phone and dial a number. Kou answers in the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Kou."

"Aki! Where are you? Where have you been? Are you okay? Some scary people came and asked about you," he blurts as soon as he recognizes my voice.

"I know. I am sorry, Kou. It is a long story. Anyway, this is urgent. Do you hear anything from Arata? I think he is in trouble and I want to see if there is anything I can do to help him."

There is uncomfortable silence following my question.

"Kou?"

My best friend doesn't say anything for a while, as if he is trying to find the right words to explain everything. When he finally answers, his tone drips with his disapproval of my behavior.

"Arata lost his job, Aki. And his sister is missing. And he has to face everything alone since you are too busy doing whatever it is you are doing at wherever it is you are doing it."

I am stunned. I know about Arata's sister. But he has never said anything in his emails about losing his job. Since I left him, Asami must have lost interest in Arata's work. Even though it is not directly my fault, I still feel guilty. But I remind myself that I have prepared to sacrifice everything for Asami's wellbeing. This is just part of it. There is no point for dwelling in regret now.

Still, Kou's resentment surprises me. I know Kou has always been close with Arata. But I don't realize that they are that close. As my best friend, somehow I expect Kou to be more understanding towards my situation.

"Well, umm, I am truly sorry to hear that he lost his job. But-"

"He is a good guy, Aki."

"Indeed, Arata is a very good guy. But Kou-"

"He loves you."

"KOU, I broke up with him! I told you before I left."

"He still loves you! He worries about you! Do you know how hard the last few months are for him? He worked days and nights for you, for your future together. But suddenly you disappeared. And then his stupid client cancelled all the contracts with his company. His boss blamed him. He lost his boyfriend AND his job in less than a week. But you don't care, do you? You had never cared about him! You always took him for granted!"

"Kou, what are you talking about? I care for him. Well, maybe not in the way I did before. But I do care as a friend."

Kou snorts. But he didn't say anything else. Suddenly understanding dawns on me.

"Kou, do you like Arata?"

There is only silent. It all makes sense now.

"Kou, it is okay. I am not mad. Arata and I...look, there is nothing between Arata and I now. It was over. It was over a long time a go, Kou. We just didn't want to admit it."

"Well, maybe you think so. But he doesn't."

I rub my forehead in frustration. Why do all the men in my life have to be so stubborn? Of course, so far, the bastard still holds the top position for that.

Kou sighs before he continues softly. "Is it that man? He is the reason you break up with Arata, isn't he?"

For a while, I feel confuse. There are so many things run havoc inside my head at this moment that I need more time than usual to follow our conversation. "Which man?"

"Come on, Aki. Stop hiding it as if I am stupid. I may act like I don't care about anything in life. But I can be quite observant. It is something I need to learn since young in my family, remember? I am talking about the man who picked you up after our new year party; the same man who met you at the hotel after Maria's wedding. He is the reason you broke up with Arata, isn't he? Do you love him?" he asks gently now.

Oh, he means Asami. I close my eyes. Well, this is going to happen sooner or later. I can't keep hiding Asami from everyone forever. It is time to face it like a man and tell my best friend the truth. Kou deserves it.

"I do love Ryu, Kou. But he is not the reason I broke up with Arata. Our relationship just didn't work. That's all."

My best friend doesn't show any reaction to my simple admission. Then I hear him sighing.

"When we met him at the hotel, I realized something was not right. This Asami looked...I don't know...he looked so protective about you. He watched you all the time, even when he pretended that he didn't. But I knew he did. He reacted to every small thing that you did. And when he mentioned Arata and said what a happy couples you and Arata was, he smiled and laughed. But all I could think by that time was how upset he looked like. And I thought...I thought he had an unrequited love for you. I thought maybe you didn't know. But I couldn't tell you. I didn't want to. Even if you didn't know, I could see your attraction to him. And I didn't want you to realize it. I pitied the man. I know how it feels to have a love unreturned; being unable to do or say anything even when the person you love is so close near you hurts like hell. So I felt sympathy towards this man. But I didn't want Arata to get hurt. I will do anything so Arata won't get hurt," he pauses. When he continues, his voice sounds so full of regret, "I am sorry."

I don't know what to say. How come I didn't realize my best friend's feeling up until now? What kind of a friend am I to be so blind? "No, I am sorry, Kou. You didn't do anything wrong. I should have noticed your feeling. I am so very sorry."

Being such an easygoing person, Kou chuckles softly at my awkwardness. He sighs loudly before he teases me, "Well, let's just consider it even between us, then. Otherwise, we will just keep saying sorry to each other forever." I am relieved to hear his cheekiness back. "So, are you with this Asami now?"

I shrug. "I don't know. I am not sure. Are you going to tell Arata about your feeling?"

"What is this? Are we playing a game where we need to tell each other the truth like some girls in pyjamas party?" He laughs. But when I remain quiet, he gives up and answers, "No, I won't. And you better don't."

"But, why?" I instantly ask. Somehow I think they will fit each other. The serious Arata and the happy-go-lucky Kou will be a good balance.

"Well, you know my family. They won't allow it."

And I do know his family even though I just met them once or twice. They don't like me but the feeling is mutual. Kou comes from a strict family full with respectful doctors. His father and his older brothers are well-known surgeons. His family even owns their own hospital. It is already ingrained deep inside Kou how disappointed his family is because he failed to enter the medical school. My easygoing friend always acts like it is nothing. But I know he is much more disappointed with his own failure than his family will ever be. And that is why he won't do anything that may cause more problems for his family.

"You won't know for sure until you try," I tell him simply.

"I know for sure already. Even if Arata somehow likes me, which he doesn't, it will only hurt him. And I don't want him to get hurt because of me."

Somehow, his argument reminds me of _someone else's argument_; someone that I am very familiar with: myself. And for the first time since I woke up after the Russian incident, I finally see the whole situation clearly. It is weird how everything becomes so obvious when you are just an observer. I am not sure whether my next advice is truly meant for him or for myself.

"Well, maybe he doesn't mind to get hurt for you. And who knows what will happen in the future? Maybe everything will be fine and no one will get hurt. Are you going to give up now just because you are too afraid to even try?" The words are out even before my brain can filter everything.

Kou is quiet for a long moment. Then he replies in a steady voice, "Yes, I am going to do that, Aki. And we are not going to discuss this issue anymore. Anyway, you want me to check on Arata, don't you? I'll call him now. I'll let you know as soon as possible, ok? Besides, I don't think it is wise if he knows that you are back in Tokyo now."

I don't want to upset my best friend anymore than I already have. So, I give him my phone number quickly. And with that, he hangs up. I sigh. Now, I just need to wait until Kou calls me back. And hopefully he will do it before Asami comes home.


	11. Chapter 11 Being Normal, For Now

**Disclaimer : VF belongs to Yamane Ayano. **

**Warning : Lengthy chapter, even longer than usual. -_-" And many grammatical error, I believe.**

**Hi, (feel free to skip this part)**

**First of all, I am very sorry for the slow update. This chapter is the longest in the story so far and it took the most time to write. I ended up rewriting it a few times (and in the end, I can't write much about the twins :( ). I wanted to give a bit of sweetness for Asami and Aki but not too sweet because this is Asami and Akihito we are talking about. I just hope that I did it right in the end. _"**

****Thank you for everyone who reviewed, followed, pm-ed, and favs-ed this story. ****

**Especially, I want to thank Chaozsama for pointing out the mistakes (and even proofreading) the first half of Part 1 below. Thank you so much for your kind help! If there is still a mistake there, it must be my fault for not copying properly. I changed the suggestion one by one in the vain hope that I can learn, so I may miss something. **

**I tried to fix the grammatical issue in the whole chapter, but I am quite sure there are still a lot. As always, I am very sorry for that. **

**The first half of Part 2 is dedicated for Yaoifangirl89 who asked me to write a flashback of why Takaba left Asami. I hope it explained. But if it doesn't, feel free to pm me. :)**

**As for serenyty82's request, a flashback of what happened in Russia, I would try to fit it if possible. I have another doc file full of various things that I wrote for this story but I could't fit it into the chapters so I decided to throw it out. The Russia incident is somewhere in that long file, hidden between the many cut parts there. So, if there is an opportunity to put it back, I will do it.**

**For Nikkie23534 and everyone else who asked when Emi and the 'others' **would **be gone, it will come. All in good time. :) Thank you for giving ideas for next chapter.**

**Please let me know your thought later. ****Finally, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11. Being Normal, For Now<strong>

**Part 1. Kirishima's Headache**

Kirishima is terribly tired.

It is past midnight in Tokyo and he just arrived from an exhausting trip to South East Asia, fixing whatever chaos the brat created during his little runaway in those tropical countries. Weary, he rubs his eyes in an effort to keep himself awake as he silently prays that his growing headache won't get worse. But it seems his body votes for an all-out strike and refuses to cooperate in any way after a few days being forced to work without enough sleep and proper meals.

Resting was a complete luxury for him and Haruka since they got the call informing Takaba-sama's whereabouts. As soon as it was confirmed that the brat was safely on his way back to Tokyo, they immediately took the private jet to clean up whatever mess was left behind and to make sure that no one was interested to dig deeper into the whole incident. It was rough already to travel to so many cities and countries in two days. What made it worse was the fact that Kirishima always has problem relaxing in an unfamiliar environment. So, despite travelling in the comfort of Asami-sama's private jet, he still had difficulties even in taking a nap during those long hours flying. He had tried every possible position in the spacious and luxurious seat, which was specially designed to give a more comfortable experience than what top airlines in the world are currently offering. He just wanted to get a few minutes of sleep, but every attempt ended in failure. Soon, however, he will be home and get the rest he deserves.

With a soundless sigh, he glances at Haruka who sits in front of him inside the limo. His assistant doesn't look much better than him. Her shoulder length black shiny hair, which is usually styled neatly, now looks slightly messy. The fashionable clothes she is wearing are slightly crumpled at some parts. There are dark shadows below her eyes. And her face is a bit pale as she struggles to keep reading a draft business agreement on her iPad.

"Leave that document for now, Haruka," he ordered sternly. "Since Takaba-sama is back, I am sure Asami-sama won't review anything tonight. I will drop you off at your house. Then you must rest. We managed to clean the whole mess quicker than expected. Good job. Now, have some sleep so you will be fresh tomorrow morning."

Haruka looked hesitant but she slowly closed the file she was reading and put her tablet back into her bag without complaining. It is obvious that she doesn't have any more energy to argue. But always being such a loyal and reliable assistant, she still offers to assist him.

"I will accompany you to Emi-san's place before I go home," she said, looking straight at him in the eyes and showing him her determination in doing her job without fail.

The offer is tempting. It'll be nice to have someone who is ready to assist, especially since he feels like collapsing any time soon. However, Kirishima shakes his head. "No, you need to go home. One of us needs to be able to stay awake tomorrow to help Asami-sama. Besides, considering Emi's aggressiveness towards you before, it may not be wise. Asami-sama clearly ordered us to pamper and give her as much comfort as she needs. So, I don't want to provoke her in any way tonight."

Haruka remained silent for a while. It was obvious, though, that the girl wanted to say something from the way she kept glancing at him grimly. When she finally voiced her thought, her coal-black eyes were full of concern. "Kirishima-san, do you think Asami-sama will keep this Emi girl? Or the other boy, Takumi? I mean, now that Takaba-sama is back, surely-"

Before the girl can say anything further, Kirishima cuts her mercilessly.

"Haruka, I will just say this once, so you better listen carefully. What Asami-sama will or will not do is not for us to decide. Nor should we gossip about it. Our job is to obey whatever it is Asami-sama decides to do. Put that in mind if you want to keep your job or your life. It will be such a waste to see a smart brain like yours splattered on the floor."

It came out harsher than what he really has in mind. He didn't mean to lecture her ruthlessly. But his lack of sleep started to take an effect on him. His mind feels foggy and everything irritates him beyond sense. Luckily, Haruka is way too professional to take his severe scolding into heart. She simply mutters her apology as she bows as low as she can possibly do inside the limo.

Kirishima let out a sigh. It was a bit unfair of him to say those words to Haruka while he has exactly the same questions in mind. What will happen now that Takaba-sama is back? Their previous plan is definitely out of options. Kirishima can unquestionably threaten that Takagi dog in keeping the charade if Asami-sama requires him to do so. But he honestly doesn't think that it will be a wise choice considering the turn of events. Besides, how can they explain it to the brat? They can't just force him to get back together with the useless dog without explaining anything.

Should he start looking for another potential man to replace the damn dog? He can find someone much plainer, maybe even someone ugly. Just to keep it safe. Even though Asami-sama has never acknowledged it as _sharing_, Kirishima knows for sure that his boss doesn't really like the idea of his boy caring for, moreover being intimate with someone else beside him. Maybe if the other person looks horrible, Kirishima can lessen the burden his boss needs to endure.

What Kirishima truly wants, though, is for the brat to stay at Asami-sama's side without stubbornly insisting on that stupid idea of living the _normal_ life he always raves about. Who defines what is normal and what is abnormal, anyway? The society? Kirishima doesn't give a fuck of what the society thinks or says. He knows his boss doesn't care either. Their experience has shown them that the society agrees with whatever the majority says and their opinion will change over time. That naive boy, however, obviously cares. And forcing the boy into accepting the abnormality of their world despite of what the society taught him for all his life may destroy Takaba-sama in the end. He shrugs it off. If the boy stays as his boss' partner, in the end, it will be the boy's own decision and not because someone forces it onto him. The prospect of the boy doing that doesn't look too promising. On the other hand, he doubts his boss will be able to let the boy go without at least a broken heart. One way or another, it is hard to get a solution that won't hurt one of them.

But if Kirishima has to choose which one to save, he will pick Asami-sama anytime. Kirishima will sacrifice anyone, even the good-hearted boy, for Asami-sama. And he will do it as many time as needed. Don't get him wrong. He cares about the boy. However, since Asami-sama saved him and his sister long time ago, Kirishima had vowed to repay Asami-sama's kindness by serving the powerful man. When his dear sister died from illness three years after that, assisting and protecting Asami-sama became his new purpose in life. If he breathed for his sister before, now, he lives only for Asami-sama. He kills and will die without regret for Asami-sama. There is almost nothing he won't do for Asami-sama.

So, that is it. In the end, it doesn't matter how much he cares for the boy. Kirishima will chain the boy to Asami-sama's bed himself if it's needed. And hopefully, one day, that naive boy will understand. As he gives the direction to the driver, Kirishima can feel the heavy pounding in his head throbs even more painfully.

* * *

><p>Goro is waiting for him when Kirishima finally arrives at Emi's place. The young guard bows low in fear as Kirishima passes to enter the penthouse. Ignoring Goro, he walks directly to the living room. But what he saw there stops him in his track. Maybe it was because his brain refused to work as fast as it normally does. For almost a whole minute, Kirishima scans his surrounding slowly, making sure that he came to the right place. Did he give the wrong direction to the driver and go to the wrong penthouse?<p>

Emi stands in front of the wall-to-ceiling window in the living room, half facing away from him and wearing nothing but a short and a white top. She is barefoot and her short light brown hair is slightly messy as if she just woke up from a nap. With her lean body and small breasts, in a glance, she looked exactly like Takaba-sama. What made him unable to differentiate her from the real one for a moment was the digital camera in her hands and the way she holds it dearly.

None of those shallow light brown hair imitations was into photography. Kirishima is quite sure that they knew nothing about camera other than the one embedded in their stylish smart phone. Most were interested in clothes, jewels, and branded accessories. Some were more into sport cars and high-tech gadgets. Takumi, having a more serious personality than others, loves oil painting and it made him an oddity in Asami-sama's collection.

Before bad economy ruined his family business and pushed the family into endless debt, Takumi was a university student majoring in fine art. The debt forced his father, who heard the rumor of Asami-sama's eccentric preference in bed partners, to sell his own son to the crime lord. After seeing one of Takumi's paintings, Asami-sama instantly took a liking to the boy. Kirishima assumed that it was because Takumi's painting reminded Asami-sama of Takaba-sama's interest in photography. Whatever the reason was, Asami-sama's fondness in his hobby had given Takumi a special position among the others even though his similarities with Takaba-sama is limited to their hair and eyes color. But Takumi was the only one with such interest. Now, Emi is standing in front of Kirishima with a camera in her hands.

Kirishima's experience with his boss' partner had provided the secretary with enough basic knowledge about photography. So he knows exactly that the camera in Emi's hands right now is one of the brat's favorite. He still remembers how the brat unsuccessfully tried to explain why this camera is better than the others, babbling something about ISO, shutter speed, and whatever photography nonsense that boy loves to talk about.

"Since when did you start doing photography?" he blurted without thinking.

Emi just kept snapping pictures as she answered defiantly, "What's your fucking problem now, Kirishima? Is there any law saying that I can't learn something new?"

Gone was the fake angelic tone that always annoyed him to no end. Her unusually stubborn words reminded him of the way Takaba-sama speaks. Emi usually talked as if she was a high-class lady and behaved like a spoiled little princess. Kirishima used to think that the girl actually had more grace to be Asami-sama's partner than the _real_ partner. He thought that was the other reason why Asami-sama loved to bring her to party besides her similarities with Takaba-sama. So, what was it that changed the girl so drastically?

And since when did the girl become undistinguishable from the real one? Before, he could notice some differences here and there. Now, he feels that the way she talked and behaved is almost identical to Takaba-sama, especially with that camera in her hands. The eerie similarities between the girl and that brat screamed danger at him as loud as the twin's cry in the middle of the night. It was as if she had seen the real one and she copied every characteristic more perfectly. But it is impossible, isn't it? Not one of those replicas knows who the real one was or even whether the real one truly existed. Quietly, he swallows his discomfort, trying his best to keep his stoic expression in place. Shit, if only his headache would stop so he could think clearly.

"What do you want, Kirishima?" The girl's voice pulled him back from his intense perusal.

Absentmindedly, he answered, "Just want to check on you. Suoh told me you had an incident with Haruka. I want to make sure you are okay. Maybe it is time for another check up."

"Well, you have seen that I am okay. Go away and report whatever it is you need to report to your master," she grumbled without losing her concentration on the night view that she wants to capture.

Her annoyance rings another alarm deep inside Kirishima. Emi didn't talk about Asami-sama in that kind of mocking tone. The girl adored the crime lord to the point where she worshipped Asami-sama as if he was a living god whose words was law to all living beings. Asami-sama could order her to sacrifice her own son in a bloody ritual and the girl would blindly follow the order, believing she would gain his favor by doing so. At least, that was how it looked like to Kirishima.

When Kirishima stays quiet, she turns to look at him. Then, finally noticing his weary face, Emi freezes for a second before she grins the same big smile that Takaba-sama makes whenever he sees Kirishima in a mess.

"Gosh, you look horrible, Kirishima. How many days has it been since the last time you sleep? Maybe I am the one who needs to make sure you are okay!"

The girl tilts her head and Kirishima's blood turns cold. Who is this girl in front of him? Emi had never talked to him in such a familiar way. She hated him with every fiber in her body and the feeling was mutual. There was always a barely hidden hostility between him and the girl before.

"Kirishima?"

He growls low, making a dangerous sound at the back of his throat. "What is this, Emi? Why do you bother to act nice now?"

The girl stares at him thoughtfully. Finally, she replied, "I miss my babies. I asked Goro to buy me this camera because I needed to find something to distract myself from thinking about them."

It might be because he was so damn tired and her attitude reminded him of the brat; whatever the reason was, Kirishima softened upon hearing her simple reply. The girl just gave birth to two baby boys. Soon after that, she had to give her babies away to someone else. Even though she agreed to this arrangement for a certain amount of money, that kind of experience surely changed a person. He shouldn't be too harsh on her. Besides, it is much easier to treat her nicely now that she behaves exactly like the brat. He can almost imagine her as Takaba-sama, standing there like a pouting little kitten.

"Fine. I will see what I can do. Asami-sama ordered me to give you everything that you want: branded clothes, jewelries, cars, gadgets, or beauty sessions. Whatever it is, you just need to say it. Goro will pick your new credit card in the office tomorrow. It will have a higher limit and you can use it however you wish. If there is anything else you need, you can tell Goro to inform me and we will see how it can be done."

"He must love me so much to order you to do that," she whispered amusedly. Her sweet lips curve into a winning a smile and Kirishima sees a glimpse of the selfish and power-hungry girl who always irritates him to no end. But his headache becomes painfully worse at that very moment, so he closes his eyes, taking a few deep calming breathes to control the stubborn poundings in his head. When he opens his eyes again, there is no more trace of the girl who he hates so much. Instead, Emi blinks at him in the same way Takaba-sama looks at Kirishima when the boy feels curious.

Realizing that Emi is still waiting for his answer, Kirishima almost nods just to get this over. However, merely based on pure instinct, he decided to tell her the truth. "Asami-sama appreciates the gift you gave him. He wants to make sure that you are rewarded."

Emi doesn't say anything to show her disappointment but Kirishima notices her hardened expression as if he just gave her the wrong answer. Well, the truth is not always easy, but he doesn't think it is wise to indulge her fantasy. Emi has to know that Asami-sama doesn't do any of this because he truly cares for her. This is just business for the powerful man, nothing personal. If she gave him what he wanted, he would pay her back. Hopefully, it will make her more cooperative in the future.

Kirishima tells Goro to collect the card from Haruka's office tomorrow and leaves the penthouse hurriedly to finally have some rest.

* * *

><p>Right after Kirishima was gone, Emi removes the fake expression that she learnt from days watching the hundreds of photos and videos of Akihito. Frown etches her pretty face. Her acting was quite good that it affected even the meticulous Kirishima. Based from his reaction, she believed his master's secretary has a soft spot for the boy. It made him more accommodative when Emi behaved like Akihito. It is good to know. Slowly, her infamous angelic smile blossoms from her small victory.<p>

Goro is an idiot and a coward. But it is easy to manipulate him to do her bidding by exploiting the guard's fear of Asami-sama. Goro has a relatively free access to Sion. The guard can steal things for her and the _'souvenirs'_ he brought back helped her to imitate Akihito's behavior more perfectly. She turns to Goro who is currently fidgeting nervously at the entrance of the penthouse.

"Get me more information about Akihito. Since Kirishima finally has time to come here, they must have found the boy. Find out where he is now and how we can get closer to him. Ask around but be discreet. I am sure that bitch knows. Kirishima trusts her. Try to get it out of her when you go to her office tomorrow."

Goro doesn't even dare to look at her. The guard keeps staring at his own shoes, trying to make himself invisible. His voice was unsure when he asked, "Asami-san, are you sure it is wise to disturb the boy?"

She immediately scowls in anger at his stupid question. Stuttering in fear, Goro rashly continued, "Your…Your husband had given you more allowance and freedom compared to what was given to the others. You gave him two sons. The twins are his only heirs. And until the boy appeared, Asami-sama spent more time with you than the others. I...I am sure you hold the top rank above the others, Asami-san. But if Asami-sama likes the boy, he won't be happy to find out what you are going to do. Your position may-"

She sends him a deadly glare. "My husband will know nothing as long as you do what I told you to do and keep your stupid mouth shuts." Pausing to observe the scared guard who instantly shrank in fear, she continued slowly, "Do you want me to tell him about your betrayal, about how you touched what is his? You would be lucky to be able to see the next sunrise if he found out that you bedded me."

Goro trembles from the threat, deeply regretting his mistake. His body shakes like a leaf and Emi swears she can see tears at the corner of his eyes.

She turns back to the night view outside the window, thinking of her plan. She knew Akihito better now from the reports Goro stole for her. From what she gathered so far, Akihito caused a lot of problems for her master. Like a wild cat that can't be tamed, the boy refused to do even the simplest order and tried to break free from the golden cage her master prepared for him. It might be the sensation of breaking something so wild that attracted her master to the boy.

Well, she can be wild for her master. If her master prefers her to behave like this Akihito, she will behave exactly like that. She will act as if she doesn't care about anything and refuse to follow any order. It stings her pride that she has to imitate the distasteful boy. But she will do this better than the real Akihito. In time, her master will see that it is better to have an '_Akihito_' who knows how to behave exactly the way he likes it than the uncontrollable one.

Without looking back at Goro, she gave him one last instruction. "Call Takumi. Tell him that I will come to meet him soon."

Oh, yes, she can be '_Akihito_'. She will be a much better version of _'Akihito' _and her master will love her so much for that.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. Promises, Promises<strong>

_Sprawling lazily on his stomach, Asami's eyes followed his boy's movement from the comfort of their bed as Akihito moved around their room to pack things into his backpack. He knew Akihito was fully aware of his intense observation. But for once, the boy entertained him by letting him watch as much as he wanted. _

_To be honest, Asami didn't like the idea of Akihito having a project in Osaka right after the boy's passionate love confession tonight. His basic instinct screamed at him to keep his boy close, to protect him from any harm and to provide him with whatever luxury the boy would ever want in his life. He felt itchy to tell the boy about his secret plan, a plan that would give Akihito a child. He wanted to whisper his own love confession and see his boy's eyes glowed with love for him. But his years of keeping his emotion tightly inside prevented him from saying it out loud. _

_Emotion didn't have a place in his world. It clouded one's judgment and blurred one's logic. Useless emotion killed people and destroyed business. On the other hand, Akihito's world was all about emotion and feeling; Asami had never met anyone so full of fire and love like Akihito. The boy acted first and thought later. It was dangerous but it was one of the boy's qualities that attracted Asami in the beginning._

_"Are you sure you don't need Kirishima to drive you to the station?" He asked his boy for at least the fifth time. _

_This time, however, he noticed the way his boy's hands stopped moving for a moment. A heartbeat. A blink. And he remembered the hunch he felt upon seeing the subtle reaction. His boy was unsure and his intuition told him that Akihito's uncertainty was caused by something much more complicated than the simple decision of whether he should let Kirishima driving him to the station or not. Then the boy pouted in the cute way that always amused Asami and he ignored the nagging sense of foreboding. It was the first mistake he made that night._

_"I am not a child, Ryu! I need no one to drive me anywhere like a pre-school student. Besides, I told you, my friend will pick me up soon."_

_It was not until that night that Akihito started calling him by his given name and the boy still blushed slightly at the simple endearment, looking at anything but Asami in his embarrassment. At that moment, Asami just chuckled at his pouting kitten. He would find out the hard way later that Akihito avoiding his gaze had nothing to do with embarrassment. Instead, it had everything to do with Akihito hiding the real plan; a plan that his boy had carefully hatched together with that damned friend of his from Hong Kong. _

_But then Asami didn't know. "Fine, kitten. You can play in the big bad world on your own. But don't go with a stranger even if he gives you candies. Or cookies. Or even a box of Pocky." he teased._

_Asami easily ducked the shoe thrown his way by his angry boy. It was also not a problem to avoid the heavy photography book that came next. But when Akihito lunged himself into his embrace right after that, it totally caught him by surprise, nevertheless a pleasant one. The boy pinned him down, using his weight as leverage, but both men knew that if Asami wanted, he could easily swap their position without much effort. For now, he stayed still under the boy, indulging Akihito by giving him a sense of power. _

_Straddling his stomach, Akihito stared at him in a way that melted even his iron heart, if a person as sinful as him still had a heart to begin with. He raised his hand to remove a stubborn bang from his boy's face. And his lover closes those pure hazel orbs, leaning against Asami's wide palm._

_"I made breakfast for you. You must eat it later, okay?" The boy's whisper was so soft. And somehow it sounded lonely. But he also already missed the boy even before Akihito left that he thought the hint of loneliness in Akihito's voice was entirely understandable. Unsatisfied by Asami's impassive reaction, his lover continued the nagging, "You don't take a good care of yourself, Ryu. Eat properly. Rest well. Stay healthy. Otherwise you won't have enough strength to go around killing people and scaring children. The world will be too peaceful without your evil self in it."_

_He laughed at his boy's cheekiness. "Yes, kitten. I will try to remember your loving advices. Besides, you will be back in a couple of days and you will take care of me," he told his boy smugly back then. He still couldn't believe his own carelessness for missing the way Akihito's eyes glinted with a touch of sadness. He should have noticed how strange it was that the boy didn't get upset from the teasing. But he ignored it all because he felt confident after Akihito's love confession._

_They enjoyed the comfortable silence that followed, stroking each other gently, until Akihito asked quietly, "Ryu? Did you truly mean it when you said you would do anything for my happiness?"_

_The uncertainty in his boy's voice halted the movement of his hands. He looked up at the boy, putting as much resoluteness as he could muster in his golden eyes. His own voice was firm without any hardness in it. "Putting aside our first time together, have I ever done anything that made you think otherwise, Akihito?"_

_The boy stayed still before he slowly shook his head. "No, you have never let me down." _

_At one point in their messy relationship, Akihito started to become the top priority in his life and the boy knew it even if Akihito didn't want to acknowledge it aloud. They both didn't know for sure when it had happened. Maybe it was when Asami went to Hong Kong to save Akihito despite of his own injuries. Or maybe it was long before that. It didn't matter now._

_"I would do anything in my power to make you happy," he affirmed._

_"Promise?" The voice asking him was tiny and suddenly Akihito looked so young and vulnerable in his arms. The sudden urge of protectiveness was overwhelming and it made Asami grunted low in his throat._

_"I promise," he said firmly._

_"There is nothing that makes me happier than you being happy and alive. So, be happy and stay alive, Ryu. You promised me."_

_It was a strange request, he thought at that time. But, he had promised and he had never broken a promise to Akihito. So he just nodded from the top of Akihito's head. It seemed his silent agreement was enough for the boy. And after another passionate kiss that left Akihito breathless and made him proud of himself, he let the boy go. The last thing he heard before he fell back into a deep sleep was his boy saying goodbye._

_A few hours later, he found that damned letter from his boy on the kitchen counter, right beside a plate of breakfast just as Akihito promised. The paper was wrinkled, obviously dampened by tears. It was short but it was clear enough to kick him in the gut. _

_Akihito believed that he was a burden to Asami; his boy thought that he was nothing but trouble because he could never understand the way Asami's world worked. Asami saw how the boy was so frightened. He was not blind that he could ignore the way Akihito shook in fear every time the boy found a new injury on Asami's body during their years together. His boy was scared, not for his own life, but for Asami's. And Akihito thought that cutting himself out of Asami's life would somehow save Asami. The idea felt totally ridiculous for Asami and it wounded the crime lord's pride; why did he work so hard to become stronger if he still needed his boy to protect him from anything?_

_But what was worse than his wounded pride was his anger at his own ignorance. He should have noticed. He should have known. He should have forced Akihito to face the fact that it was too late; there was no running away for his boy. Since the moment Akihito became his top priority, there wouldn't be anything that could keep him away from his boy. _

_He had to admit that his boy was smart. He asked Asami to make him a promise, thinking that he could give Asami happiness and safety by staying away from him using a trick. And falling into the sweet trap, Asami had promised. But Akihito missed one little fact: the boy was the first happiness Asami had ever have and the only one he would ever taste in his life. That was a small loophole that Akihito failed to see. And Asami would be damned if he didn't exploit this one chance he had to get his boy back without breaking his own promise._

* * *

><p>When Asami enters the spacious living room, the sight in front of him makes him smile unconsciously. Akihito is half lying on the wide sofa with the babies safely tucked at both sides. His boy looks up when he hears Asami's footsteps, trying to see him without waking the twins. As he strode closer, Akihito whispered with a huge grin on his face, "I begin to think that there must be something wrong with their noses. I must be so smelly and sweaty but every time I try to get away from them, they will automatically cry. You need to ask Kirishima to bring them to doctor, you know, to check their ability to smell things."<p>

Asami chuckles. Bending down to kiss his young lover, he replied easily, "They love you already." Akihito raises an eyebrow at his comment but whatever the boy wanted to say is muffled by the slow and passionate kiss.

His lover carefully passes Rikiya to him and they both bring the twins back to their crib. When the babies are comfortable under their soft baby blankets, Akihito leads him to the living room, passing him a glass of his favorite liquor, preparing an ashtray near a box of his favorite cigarettes, and fretfully helping him to settle into the sofa. It is obvious that the boy wants to bribe him with a bit of pampering before starting the dangerous topic.

"So, umm, well..."

Akihito stands awkwardly, fidgeting, as the boy searches for the right moment to ask him the question that he knows will come sooner or later. He waits patiently for his younger lover to gather the courage. When Akihito finally asked, his voice sounded so cautious as if he was talking to a scared animal instead of to a crime lord who didn't even bother to blink anymore while killing someone, "...have you met Tao yet?"

Asami leans back to the sofa, swirling the whiskey in his glass and considering his options on how to better handle this issue. "He is fine, for now, if that is what you want to know," he finally answered.

Of course, his boy freezes instantly.

"For now?"

Asami can't stop the slow smile that appears on his face. His boy looks terrified. Well, this is a good opportunity to teach his lover about the meaning of _consequences_. Hopefully, next time, Akihito will think twice before doing anything stupid that can end his life.

"For now," he confirmed coolly.

The crime lord watches in amusement as Akihito gulps, most probably trying to analyze the possibilities of what he may do to punish his dear friend later. Said friend is actually sleeping from pain meds in one of Asami's private hospital. And as long as Tao doesn't do anything stupid in the future, like seducing Akihito or helping his boy to plan another runaway, Asami doesn't have any plan to hurt the black hair boy. Tao is his ace card to be the strongest in the entire East Asia. However, his boy doesn't need to know the trivial detail.

"Ryu, please, he is just a child. I asked his help and he helped me. It was all my idea. You can't be seriously thinking of punishing him for my mistake. He just gave me a favor, nothing more."

Raising his eyebrow and keeping his face straight, Asami simply replied, "Really? Was he truly just giving you a favor and no more? He sounded quite passionate when he talked about you today."

It is true. He doesn't lie to his boy. Tao did sound quite passionate when he told Asami how he treasures his friendship with Akihito. And that is all: friendship. Asami could see that Feilong's son didn't harbor any romantic feelings to his boy. However, Akihito takes the bait and now the boy stares at him in complete shock and horror.

"I don't know...," Akihito paused, shaking his head slowly to clear his mind before he tried again, "Ryu, listen to me. It must be a mistake. Tao and I are just friends. He is barely 15. I have never seen him as anything but a child. Please. Don't hurt him. I will do everything you want if-"

The boy quickly stopped himself when he realized what he just said.

"Everything I want, Akihito?" Asami pushed with a satisfied smirk.

"Within reason!" the boy quickly stated. "I am not going to hurt someone for you or kidnap innocent children or rape a woman or anything like that! Ever! You must promise that you won't harm Tao for something that was totally not his mistake! Then I will give you three wishes. You can ask me to do whatever you want and I will obey it."

"Five wishes," he bargained just for show. Three wishes are enough. But if he doesn't bargain at least once, the boy will start to have doubts.

As expected, Akihito snarled at him, addressing his family name instead of his given name to show that he is better not pushing his luck further, "Three, Asami. Even Aladdin's genie won't give you more than that."

It is more for an effect when Asami cocks his head slightly, pretending to consider the offer. He decided Tao's fate hours ago and getting three free wishes out of it were more than what he expected. But purely for his entertainment, he drags the silence far longer than necessary, enjoying the sight of Akihito fidgeting in front of him anxiously.

"Fine. I promise I won't harm your dear friend, as long as he doesn't do anything to offend me, ifyou make my three wishes come true. Do we have a deal now, Akihito?" Asami finally had some pity when it seemed that his boy would explode into pieces if he kept the silence a moment longer.

Of course, Akihito narrows those pure hazel eyes in suspicion.

"How can I believe you? You also promised that you would do anything to make me happy. What makes me happy is if you can find your happiness, but-"

It irritated him that Akihito brought that topic now.

"Well, take it or leave it, Akihito. I have never broken a promise to you and I don't have a plan to start now. But it is up to you whether you want to believe it or not."

His answer silences the younger man. Slowly, Akihito nods.

"We have a deal, Bastard."

* * *

><p>Part 3. Three Wishes<p>

Asami's first wish, to my surprise, is completely normal and easy. He removed the chains around my ankles and wrists, brushing his fingertips innocently (and purposely, I am quite sure!) on my skin, which caused a shiver down my spine. Slowly, he stripped me out of my clothes, teasing and taking his damn time to remove every fabric from my body. Then he asked me to take a quick bath by myself while he changed his clothes to something more casual. That, he told me, was his first wish.

I stare at him in disbelief, expecting him to give some sort of ridiculous conditions that I have to obey while doing what he told me to do. You know, just for his enjoyment. This is Asami Ryuichi that we are talking about. In my humble opinion, there is nothing he likes more than making people miserable. I was prepared to do even the unthinkable things to save my friend. I didn't have any idea what kind of unthinkable things it would be because, well, it is unthinkable. But I expected something like cleaning the penthouse with toothbrush or counting the stars or even running naked outside. So being asked to take a bath alone while I was standing naked in front of him was a bit...disorienting.

When I just stand there, analyzing any potential threat in his totally common request, he smirks knowingly at me.

"Disappointed, Akihito?" His smug question annoyed me to no end.

Without answering his question, I leave him to do as he asked, stomping my feet all the way to the main bathroom. Right before I slam the door, he warned me, "If you don't close the door nicely, you will wake the kids!" There was a short pause before he continued, "And I highly suggest you to clean your body thoroughly. You smell like a dead rotting kitten being left under the sun for weeks!"

I grit my teeth in anger. But remembering the kids, I close the door as gently as I can, trying my best not to shout back a witty retort at him.

It feels good to finally take a shower, though, and I sigh happily as the warm water cleans the dirt and sweat away. I can feel my body relaxes. My anger slowly turns into contentment and I start to hum while shampooing my hair and soaping my whole body.

It is when my hand brushes the crease between my ass cheeks that I realize how long it has been since the last time I did _that _and how much I miss Asami. Before I can stop my traitorous brain from playing an imaginary hot scene that involves Asami's huge cock and his skillful fingers, my arousal had pooled in my groin. Damn. I rest my head against the cool glass wall that separates the shower area from the rest of the bathroom, considering my situation at the moment. Well, Asami still has two wishes left. I am sure he will use one of his wishes to get sex from me sooner or later. It is better to prepare myself rather than having him plunging in without preparation in the middle of lust.

My entire face feels warm when I touch my own hole. I had done this before. Six months without anyone but my right hand to accompany me through those lonely nights, I am completely familiar with this particular activity. But doing this to prepare myself for him feels...humiliating. Strangely, at the same time, it also feels incredibly hot.

Keeping my eyes closed, I could imagine his pleasure realizing that I was ready to take his cock any way he might want. His arrogant smirk would be plastered on his face by the time he found me properly lubed and stretched for him. And those images in my head were enough to stimulate me like no one has ever done before.

I place my left hand on the glass surface surrounding the shower room, resting my forehead on my arm and spreading my legs as wide as I can to give myself an easier access to touch my backside. I start sliding my slicked fingers inside me. It doesn't take long until I pants and moans, chanting his name under my breath.

"..god...oh god...Ryu..."

"I don't remember claiming myself as god, Akihito. But if you prefer that kind of role play, I guess I can try."

His calm voice echoes in the spacious bathroom and freezes me in shock. Asami leans against the bathroom counter just at the other side of the glass wall, watching me amusedly with his arms crossed. He already changed his clothes into a comfortable shirt and khaki pants. And god, he looks so damn good that I swear I can reach orgasm just from watching him there in clothes.

"Before you start accusing me, I did knock," he explained when I finally opened my mouth. "But you were obviously too occupied with your...," he paused with a grin, "..._activity_. You didn't even notice me entering."

I feel my face burning hot in shame but it does nothing to soften my erection. Instead, Asami's suggestive glare just makes me even more aroused. When he notices that I am too deep in lust that I can't form any coherent sentence to answer, he smirks wickedly.

"Now, here comes my second wish."

I swallow and hold my breath in anticipation.

Looking at my hard cock with pure evil, Asami continues serenely, "Let's eat. I am starving. I want to have dinner together with you. And that, Akihito, was my second wish."

* * *

><p>So, that brings me to his second normal and easy request: having dinner with him. Nothing was extraordinary or worth mentioning; it was a totally common couple dinner. All I did was serving him the food that I made earlier, eating together with him, and having a completely civil conversation about what I did while I was away. Everything went as if I didn't run away from him at all. I felt like I just completed a 6 months project and he wanted to know how it was going.<p>

However, I was still aroused from my previous adventure in the shower room. And it didn't help that our bodies brushed each other's every once in a while; his fingertips lingered for a moment on the inside of my wrist when I passed him a bottle of soy sauce, his knee pressed into mine under the table, and he stroked my thigh as I served him the dishes. It all felt so innocent, so accidental. Every time it happened and I looked up at him in suspicion, I find that he didn't even look at me, paying more attention to his meal, to our conversation, or to anything else but the way our bodies burnt from those chaste touches. And all that just made my body yearning for more touches.

Now, as I clean the table, I try my best to ignore our closeness. Until Asami casually moves to pass a dirty plate (unnecessarily!) to me and suddenly he stands right behind me, his chest pressing my back with not even a millimeter separating our bodies. I stagger in my surprise, and he readily catches me before I fall. The gentleness of his breath on my bare neck is a total contrast to the hardness of his erection against my lower back. At least, now I know for sure that I am not the only one who is affected by those touches.

His voice sounded husky and low to my ear when he told me, "Easy there, Akihito. There is no need to rush tonight. Let's take it slow, shall we?"

The double meaning of his statement doesn't slip my mind. And unconsciously, my body pushes back against his, wanting more of his hardness in desperation. But he quickly releases me before any moan escapes my mouth.

I turn around to find a sly smile on his face and my heart stops for a beat. Understanding dawns on me before I can fully hide my surprise. _God, Asami is seducing me._ He doesn't just take what he wants like he normally does. Tonight, he intends to take it slow, to flirt, to rouse, to dance the dangerous game between desire and control, to-

"Why don't you relax, Akihito? I can almost _hear_ you thinking. Tonight, just do what you feel is right. Nothing will happen if that is what you want. That was my last wish."

-to treat me like a true lover. Not a pet. Not a property. Not a boy toy. Not someone that simply belongs to him, to be taken whenever and however he wants.

He had three wishes. He could ask almost anything and I had the obligation to obey if I wanted to save Tao. But he spent his wishes for petty requests. It completely struck me when I realized that he did it because he was totally confident. Asami believed that he could seduce me. He was sure he wouldn't need to force me to do anything tonight. Those three wishes were merely a show to drill the idea into me: everything we are going to do after this, it will be consensual. Our act tonight will be my wish as much as his. As Asami stares at me shrewdly, like an arrogant predator stalking its cornered prey, I swallow.

The next hour, as I move around the penthouse, cleaning the kitchen, passing him a glass of vodka, and feeding the kids when they wake up crying, Asami places more innocent touches, steals chaste kisses, caresses a bit of bare skin whenever he can, and ignites that fire so deep inside me that only he can reach. He doesn't push me into anything. Tonight is not about forced sex or lust. And damn, it feels so good. For once, our relationship is not only about insatiable animalistic desire.

When I find Asami gently kissing Rikiya and Naoyuki on their foreheads as he puts them back to sleep, I smile at the beautiful sight in front of me. He looks up and our gazes meet; the protectiveness that I see in those golden orbs while he reaches his hand towards me, inviting me to join the two little ones in his embrace, catches my breath. The message in his eyes is clear. We are his to love and he will protect his beloveds. Period.

Spending time with him like this, it is easy to forget everything about his crazy evil world and all the enemies waiting for the first opportunity to kill him or to hurt everyone he loves. There is no Asami Ryuichi, the crime lord who controls the entire Japan from behind the scene, or Takaba Akihito, the freelance photographer whom nobody cares about. We are just two normal men being so much in love with each other like millions of other normal couples in the world. I could easily get addicted to this. Shit, I _am_ _already_ addicted to this.

Slowly, the chaste kisses become more passionate. The innocent touches turn sensual. Our bodies grow even harder. And when the twins finally (finally!) go back to their peaceful slumber, it is me who leads him suggestively to our bedroom. Asami gives me his infamous smirk, which he makes every time things going his way. Before, that particular smirk would annoy me to no end. Surprisingly, now I just grin back at him, realizing for the first time since our relationship began that him winning this little game of ours doesn't mean that I lose.

There is none of the usual desperation or roughness tonight. Asami gently brings me to bed, laying me on my back. His movement is slow but controlled, confident yet loving. He kisses me passionately, tongues twining and thrusting. I give him a whimper. _Sweet god, Asami truly knows how to kiss!_ I am determined to savor every second as he worships my body with more kisses. When my lover starts trailing his tongue down my chest and stomachs, kissing, nipping, sucking, and tasting every sensitive part of my body, I moan louder and louder.

Asami slides down even lower, his tongue playfully licking the clear precum on my cock, and I groan in my surprise. Asami rarely gave me (and maybe anyone else, considering his damn arrogance!) a head. In the very rare occasions when he did, usually it would be either a very quick foreplay or a pain-pleasure torture. But now, with exaggerated patience, he explores every nook and cranny around my erection, bringing pure pleasure wherever he puts his warm tongue.

"What...? Ryu, you don't..." I rasped, my voice strangling.

He pauses, gazing up with his chin digging provocatively into the softest part of my body. Now it is the hardest part of my body, I guess. His mouth quirks as his hands play with my balls.

"I don't do what, Akihito?" He coaxed with another long lick that made my knees weak. My eyes flutter closed and I instantly clutch his shoulders.

"Oh god, Ryu..."

He laughs, enjoying my reaction greatly. "I am just a man, Akihito, not a god. But I am quite sure I can show you heaven tonight."

When he finally swallows my whole length, I scream so loudly that I begin to worry I will wake the twins. My back arches like a bowstring. My left hand grabs the soft linen under me in a tight grip as I cup his head with the other, threading through the silkiness of his black hair. Before long, I make protesting sound in my throat. _Not like this. I want to come with you inside me. Please, Ryu._

"Ryu, stop! I will...will come...please...if you keep going...I want...want...oh god..."

Thankfully, Asami understands the nonsensical words I created. He raises his head, smirks proudly, and puts one last kiss at the top of my throbbing erection.

"Did you just ask me to stop, Akihito?" he teased but his huge hard cock was ready at my entrance.

Unable to form any intelligible response at the moment, I just growl fiercely, wrapping my legs around his hips and doing my best to push my body against his as he holds himself firmly. He chuckles; his body vibrates in a way that makes me tremble with longing, tempting me to roam my hands on his broad chest. When he finally invades my flesh, I hold onto his strong arm, letting go of all my control and biting into his shoulder hard.

At first, it stings after months of celibacy, but it is a welcomed pain. I whimper as I adjust with being stretched to my limit. In no time, the pain turns into pleasure and we quickly move in sync. There is none of the hard and fast shoves. Asami savors every thrust leisurely, sliding his cock deep into me before pulling it out until it is only the head that stays inside.

After our sweet and breathtaking come, his sticky liquid still leaking from me, he spoons against my back. I smile at the feeling of finally being full and safe. For a long time, we stay like that, catching our breath and calming our racing hearts. When he finally moves to find something to clean us, I hold him close; it is unbearable to be separated so soon after the intimacy we just shared. Asami just chuckles and indulges my neediness, his fingers gently massaging my sore body, and I purr in total bliss.

"Are you happy, Akihito?" Asami asked, my head nestling comfortably on the space between his neck and shoulder.

"Mmmm," I murmured noncommittally from where I rest. "Yes, I am. For now."

He cocks his head, looking down at me. "For now?"

As reality creeps back, I sigh in misery. Leaning over, I kiss his lips gently, breathing in the combination of his cologne, a hint of his cigarettes, and the masculine smell of his sweat. If I fill my lungs full with his scent now, can I still remember it when I am away?

"Don't get me wrong, Ryu. What we shared just now was very sweet. I don't think I can forget it for the rest of my life. But we can't keep doing this. I am dangerous for you."

Asami's laughter drips with mocking. "Dangerous, Akihito? Oh yes, you are as dangerous as a mewling kitten that I tremble in fear having you in my bed."

I smack him gently, too content to give him a serious blow. "Not that kind of danger, Bastard. You know it. I don't understand the way your world works. And I don't think I will ever understand it. It causes you problems. One day, I will bring you a messy enough trouble in my innocence that not even you can handle it. I don't want to see you dead, Ryu. I prefer to give my last heartbeat than living in a world without you in it."

It is sappy, I guess. But it is the truth and I don't have any better words to make him understand. I wait for him to sneer at my sentimentality, knowing that he can never comprehend the insanity of my love. He is way too arrogant and too logical to be able to understand such things. The mocking doesn't come, though, so I continue softly, "I love you, Ryu. I love you so much until it hurts. I still love you even though you are such a bastard and even though I know that you do unspeakable things behind me and even though I have every reason to hate you with everything I have. And that scares me. Because I will love you no matter who you are, no matter what you do or what you did or what you will do. There is just no way I can stop loving you."

He doesn't say anything but he wraps his arms around my shoulder, soothing me with a tenderness he had never shown me before. And I tremble as I force myself to finish my little speech, blinking to stop tears from falling.

"I am not afraid of getting hurt or killed, Ryu. But I don't want to wake up one day to find you death, bringing pieces of my heart that I won't ever get back. I can bounce back from almost everything life thrown my way, Ryu, everything but you being taken away from me for good."

It is then that he holds my chin, raising my face and looking at me firmly in the eyes.

"And you think that I can, Akihito?" His voice was rough from holding tight to the last of his control. "You think that I would just laugh and move on if you were to be taken away from me, don't you? That was why you left so easily-"

"Nothing about leaving you was easy!" I finally yelled at him.

"And nothing about staying together was easy either, Akihito!" He shouted back at me. "In fact, it is harder to stick together than to just leave! That was why you keep running away! Because it was much easier and you were too afraid to pick the harder option!"

"Shit, how can I make you understand?! I may be the reason of your death, Ryu!"

"And I may be yours! But I deal with it!"

We stare at each other in anger until Asami finally gives in, closing his eyes and taking deep steady breaths to control his fury. When he finally spoke again, he sounded calmer and more in control.

"Every couple, both normal and abnormal by your definition, has their own problem, Akihito. But they deal with it if they want to stay together. It is normal. Don't you have that crazy obsession to be normal?" He gave me a dry smile tinted with light humor. "Ours is not so easy to solve, unfortunately. But I want to give it a try. I want you to give it a try. I want US to give it a try."

Asami cups my cheeks gently, staring at me with silent pleading in his eyes. This was the longest conversation we have ever had about our relationship and, most probably, the last one we will ever have. Whatever the result will be, there won't be going back after this.

"I had never said this before, not to you or to anyone else. And I may never say it again. So you better listen carefully. I love you, Akihito. You asked me to find my happiness. You asked me to promise you that. You are my happiness, Akihito, and I am willing to bend some of my rules for you. But I can't do it alone. I don't have the strength to do all the work to keep us together. I need you to bend down a bit so we can be together somewhere in the middle. I know this is asking a lot from you but I need us to try if we want to stay together."

His honest admission takes my breath away and I swallow. I feel like a lump of emotion grows in my chest. My breaths are sharp and short as I try to push down whatever intangible thing that chokes my throat. He pauses, staring at me thoughtfully as if searching for the words that he prepared yet worrying about how I will react to those words.

"Marry me, Akihito. Stay with me. Be only mine. Let's deal with whatever life thrown our way and find our happiness together."

The blunt proposal caught me by surprise. There was nothing romantic about it but it broke the last of my control. I lean my head against his broad shoulder as I weep for the long journey that brings us to this point. Not that I regret any of it. We have been through difficult times, but we have found each other every time. My tears damp his bare skin, creating streams down his chest as he rubs my cheek, whispering soothing words near my ear about protecting our future family and providing us for the rest of his life, no matter how long or how short it will be.

"Everyone is going to die in the end, Akihito." He hugs me close but his hand keeps stroking my hair. "It is just a matter of time. I just want to spend that time with you. Is that too much to ask?"

When I don't reply immediately his body stiffens in nervousness and he starts fidgeting. I almost laugh in my cry because fidgeting is so not Asami.

"I know you are scared, Akihito. If-"

I made my decision then. Stopping whatever he wanted to say, I kiss him hard. My seeking mouth muffles his next words. Asami returns my kiss, hesitantly in the beginning, but with a surety, he becomes the aggressor. His tongue conquers mine as he thrusts further into my mouth until I back out, breathless.

_Do what you feel is right._

His last wish. And I am going to make it comes true.

"Yes, oh Ryu, yes. I will marry you. Let me be damned if I keep running away after making you fidget in nervousness, waiting for my answer to your proposal." Half sobbing, half laughing, I continued, "Oh, that is so memorable. I have to mark the day Asami Ryuichi looks like he is going to faint in anxiety."

Tense leaves his body and he looks so content as he lies back on the bed in relief, caressing my lips with the tips of his fingers. I let him holding me; the way his chest moves as he breathes calms our earlier tension.

"I love you way too much that I can't imagine anything that will make me love you less," I said absentmindedly as I traced his muscle with my fingers.

He tilts his head and raises his eyebrow. "Really? Nothing at all?"

I let out a long sigh. What could be worse than what he had done to me so far? He raped me the first time we were together. He did bad, even illegal, things behind my back. And he made me a criminal in a foreign country, drugged me, then chained me like an animal. And still, I love him. In my naivety, I can't imagine anything in this world that can change my love for him. "Just don't keep me in the dark, Ryu. Share everything with me. I promise nothing you do, or did, or will do, will make me love you less."

He stares at me long and hard, wordlessly telling me that I don't truly understand the meaning of my own promise. I shrug arrogantly.

"Fine, you don't have to believe me now but you must know that it is true. Now that everything was settled, tell me how you found Rikiya and Naoyuki. Don't get me wrong; I love them dearly. So, don't you dare to throw them away! If no one wanted them, I would take care of those two. But there must be a reason why the great Asami Ryuichi who hated children with every fiber in his body suddenly got a change of heart."

While listening to my curious question, his skepticism slowly turned into amusement.

"You promised that nothing I did would make you love me less, Akihito," he reminded me with a slow smile that made me cringe and, almost immediately, I curse my arrogance. Maybe there are some things that I do better not know, in the end.

* * *

><p>When the lift finally stops at the floor where his apartment is, right below Asami-sama's penthouse, Kirishima feels like he can collapse anytime. He is barely able to keep himself awake. People often think that he works like a robot; doing his job perfectly without asking much questions or needing any rest. Well, that is bullshit. Everyone needs to rest or ask questions.<p>

But when he sees Suoh walking carefully toward his apartment's door while holding a handful of clothes that he recognizes as Asami-sama's, all his fatigue instantly disappears. Fear fills his gut and his blood turns cold. Fighting a panic breath, he scans the entire floor to find out what was wrong that Asami-sama's head of security is here bringing what looks like the entire content of Asami-sama's wardrobe. Unable to find any clue, he takes his gun out of the holster and runs quickly to catch up with his friend.

"Kazumi, what happened? Is Asami-sama ok? Why do you bring his clothes to my apartment? Did someone attack the penthouse? Was it an assassin? A bomb? A sniper? Where is Takaba-sama? Shit, I knew I shouldn't leave for such a long trip! I should have told Haruka-"

"Calm down, Kei. Everything is fine," the giant told him evenly. "Now, could you please open the door for me? My hands are kind of full at the moment."

Suoh's calmness stuns him. There is no way Suoh can stay that calm if something happens to Asami-sama or the brat. So, what is wrong? He runs his trembled hand through his sweat-soaked hair, analyzing the situation, but for once, he can't figure anything out. Shit. His headache makes it harder for him to think with a clear head and it frustrates him. Absentmindedly, he reaches his pocket to get his key and opens the door for Suoh.

"Quiet, Kei. Asami-sama is sleeping in your guest room."

"What? Why does Asami-sama have to sleep here? I knew it. Someone did attack the penthouse, right? Stop hiding it from me, Kazumi! How bad was it?" He whispered through gritted teeth, already running a few alternative solutions for every possible situation inside his head.

His colleague let out a tired sigh. "No one attacked the penthouse, Kei."

"Then stop playing puzzle with me and explain!"

Suoh serenely folds Asami-sama's clothes and stacks it neatly on his coffee table. Kirishima realizes now that there are more of Asami-sama's things in his living room. Hand-made designer shoes line his hallway and Asami-sama's laptop is on his kitchen table.

"I don't know the details. But from what I understood, Asami-sama told Takaba-sama about the twins. The boy didn't take it well. He kicked Asami-sama out of the penthouse, throwing all Asami-sama's stuffs out of the front door and yelling all kind of pretty curses to our boss. I told the guards to go downstairs for now and to keep quiet about it. They seemed to understand. So, don't worry too much."

Kirishima stares in disbelief at one of the few people he will trust to take care of Asami-sama.

"That fucking stupid brat did WHAT?!"

"Careful, Kei. I know you have a close relationship with Takaba-sama. But you shouldn't address him like that. It was disrespectful. I told you, he kicked Asa-"

"I heard you clearly the first time already, Kazumi!" He snarled at his friend.

His friend frowned at his abrupt anger. "Then why did you ask?"

Kirishima waves his hand around in anger. "Because I can't believe it. How dare that brat kicked Asami-sama out of his own home! And threw out all his stuffs! In front of his subordinates! Did he even have enough brain cell to think about how it would affect Asami-sama?! It will be just a matter of time until someone thinks that if Asami-sama can't control his own lover, he won't be able to control his allies, moreover his enemies. Soon, some idiots will start planning a rebellion!"

Suoh simply shrugs. "Let whoever idiots in your wild imagination try, Kei. Both of us will make them regret their stupid plan. We did it before and we will do it again when it is needed. For now, stop worrying. And in case you forgot, legally, it is Takaba-sama's penthouse. Asami-sama arranged it secretly years ago, don't you remember? I believe the boy has the right to kick whoever he wants out of his own house. Anyone most probably will do the same in his situation. Some may do even worse than kicking their partner out of their house. If I dare to bring other woman's baby to her house and ask her to take care of that baby, I have no doubt that Akemi will cut my private part into pieces and hang each piece in front of her apartment for everyone to see-"

Kirishima forcefully kept his voice down even though he felt like shouting at the top of his lung out of rage. "Well, Takaba-sama should know better than behaving like Akemi! He is the partner of Asami Ryuichi, one of the most powerful and influential persons on earth! And as Asami-sama's partner, he has the responsibility to act with more grace than pouting and sulking in front of everyone for every petty little thing he doesn't like as if he is a whore crying for attention. Akemi is NOT even your wife. She-"

He regretted his words even before he noticed the way Suoh narrowing his eyes dangerously. His friend's voice was sharp with warning as he growled low, "Akemi may be a prostitute, Kei, but she has her pride. The only reason I haven't married her is because she doesn't want to be my burden, no matter how many times I assured her that she wouldn't be. So you are better not insulting her because I will kill anyone who dares to do that in front of me. Even if it is you, Kei."

Shame churns in his stomach, giving him more discomfort than his pounding headache. He has never understood his friend's infatuation to Akemi, a whore whom Suoh has been in a relationship with for the last two years, but he should know better than rubbing the fact on his friend's face. Kirishima shakes his head bitterly. "I am sorry, Kazumi. I don't mean it. I just...I don't know. I just can't think clearly right now."

Suoh's hard face softens immediately. They have been friends for years, being comrades for more than half their life. Both are way too stubborn to admit it out loud, but their bonds are as strong as any blood related brothers. His friend knows him better than almost anyone in the world; anyone but his dear sister and Asami-sama. Kirishima feels his friend's hand reach across the distance between them to pet his shoulder gently, stopping him from drowning in self-reproach.

"It is okay. I know you didn't mean it. You must have a terrible headache by now. You always have problem sleeping at unfamiliar places, so I guess you haven't slept much, if not at all, since you left Tokyo, have you? Go. Get some rest. After that you will feel much better. I will take care of this-," Suoh paused to look at the high piles of stuffs in Kirishima living room, trying to find a better term to describe the situation and finding none, so he simply continued, "-mess. Don't worry too much, Kei. Asami-sama himself only laughed when it happened. He clearly ordered us to just leave the boy alone for a while. But you have to give Takaba-sama a break. It was not an easy situation for anyone. Personally, I think it was an improvement that he kicked our boss out of their house instead of running away like usual. You see, he threw out almost all of Asami-sama's stuffs, even the packs of cigarettes. But he didn't throw out Rikiya-sama and Naoyuki-sama. It looked like a good sign to me. I am quite sure Takaba-sama doesn't really hate the idea of taking care the twins. Everything will be fine. Takaba-sama just needs some time to think it off and cool down. Give him some time."

Having no more energy to argue, Kirishima just rolls his eyes and grumbles at the brat's bold and obscene behavior as he makes his way to the bedroom, praying that his friend is right, that everything will be all right in the end. Otherwise, he is sure there will be a bloodbath in Tokyo. But it is a problem for another time. For now, he needs to get some sleep.


	12. Chapter 12 She Finally Made Her Move

**Disclaimer : VF belongs to its respective author.**

**Warnings : Rape and Violence**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12. She Finally Made Her Move<strong>

**Part 1. The Powerless and The Powerful**

Kou had never seen Arata in such a mess. Arata always dressed neatly. He was a business consultant and giving a good first impression was part of the job. He wouldn't look competent enough to handle a business if he couldn't handle his own attire. But now, the poor man greets Kou in a stained short, crumpled shirt, messy hair, and days old of stubble on his cheeks.

"Kou," Arata nodded.

Kou understands by now that it was not Akihito's fault. But seeing the man he secretly admires in such a devastating state rouses another wave of anger inside him. He doesn't know whom to blame for all the misfortune that fell on Arata. And Akihito is an easy target. Cursing silently, he tries to remind himself that it was not his friend's fault. Well, at least, not exactly.

"Arata, shit! When was the last time you shave, man?"

Arata merely shakes his head.

"You can't stay like this," Kou scolded him, seriously considering the option to drag the man in front of him to the nearest bathroom and give him a proper shower.

Somewhere from inside the house, Kou can hear children laughing and screaming in excitement. It must be Arata's nephew and niece. He tries to look over Arata's shoulder, but the man in front of him moves to firmly block his gaze.

"Ummm, sorry I came uninvited," Kou murmured uncomfortably. Obviously, Arata doesn't want him to enter the house.

Arata let out a tired sigh. "It is not that I don't want to invite you inside. But the house is in a total mess. It is embarrassing."

"Oh come one, it can't be that bad. Nothing can be worse than my room back in uni," Kou said cheerfully in an effort to lighten the mood.

Rubbing his own face wearily, Arata asked, "Why are you here, Kou? I am sorry but to be honest, I don't have time for chitchat."

If Arata noticed the hurt flashing in Kou's face, the man ignored it. Kou tried to swallow his disappointment as he answered, "I just want to check on you. I told you to call if you need help. Anything." He forced a smile, "I can be quite good at cleaning, you know."

Arata stares at him long and hard. It makes Kou think that it might be wiser to just leave the man alone for now. He almost speaks out his thought. But then Arata steps forward and quietly closes the door behind him. As soon as Arata is sure that no one inside the house can see or hear them, the poor man slides down against the door and starts sobbing violently, hiding his face and tears behind his trembling arms.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

Kou swore silently in his panic. He has never been good at comforting. He kneels in front Arata, reaching out his hand awkwardly to pet Arata's knee.

"Arata," he called softly. "Man, it is okay. Everything will be okay."

Arata's body shakes in his grieve as the man cries his heart out.

_God, Kou hoped he was Akihito. Akihito will know what to do in this kind of situation._

"They were all depending on me. My parents. My sister. My niece. My nephew. Then, Akihito left. I lost my job. Mariko was gone. My mother is too sick to care for the children by herself. My father works harder than ever and it is still not enough to pay the monthly installment for our debt. And I don't know what I can do. Never before I felt so powerless like now, Kou. "

The man's voice was so broken, so defeated, so lost. It makes Kou want to cry himself. Unable to think of what else to do, Kou pulled Arata into a tight embrace, rocking him back and forth, whispering soothing words that in the end, surely, everything will be all right.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Haruka asked when she found the young guard looking suspiciously at some documents on her desk.<p>

Goro instantly turns around to face her. The man is tall and huge that it feels awkward to see him moving nervously. Haruka always thinks that his timid behavior doesn't fit the first impression given by the size of his body.

"Nothing, Ito-san. I...I am just waiting for you. Ummm, Kirishima-san told me to pick a new credit card for-"

"For Emi. Yes, he told me," she quickly cut him. Goro is always a bit slow and with all the tasks waiting for her after her trip to South East Asia, she doesn't have the time to patiently wait until he finishes his sentence.

She searches for Emi's document in one of the filing cabinet in her office. The new credit card was delivered to Sion by a courier this morning. Considering Kirishima gave the order via email a few hours after midnight, it took a bit of extra effort to get the bank to process the request in such a short time. But it was a request from Sion group that belongs to Asami Ryuichi and the world would do everything for her boss.

While flipping through the folders, she casually asked, "How's Emi?"

Goro cleared his throat before he answered, "She is good, Ito-san. She said...well, she said she missed her babies. Is it possible for her to visit them soon?"

Finding what she is looking for, Haruka pulls Emi's folder out of the filling cabinet.

"It is up to Asami-sama. But I will make sure to raise this issue to him."

She strides to sit on her chair. There will be some forms Goro needs to sign before he can take the card and leave.

"The babies...I heard that Asami-sama will raise them as his heirs," Goro said tentatively.

Instead of replying, Haruka clicks her mouse to print the necessary forms. While waiting for the printer to finish its job, she ignores Goro and carefully checks the documents on her desk.

"I also heard that one of his lovers is taking care of the kids and that Asami-sama is now living with them. They said Asami-sama took a liking to this lover that he trusted his heirs to the boy. Why didn't Asami-sama ask Emi-san to take care of the babies? She is the biological mother. She can handle them better than anyone. She won't betray Asami-sama."

Slowly, Haruka raises her head from the paper that she is currently reading.

"Whom did you hear all of this story from?" Her voice was completely controlled and composed.

Glad that Haruka finally paid him attention, Goro continued excitedly, "Well, some of the guards were discussing it. Ida, Muto, and Nagai."

Those guards Goro mentioned are all newly hired. Last night must be their first assignment to guard Takaba-sama's penthouse. Not upstairs on the penthouse floor. Suoh wouldn't make a mistake by placing new guards near Asami-sama or his boy. New guards would be stationed downstairs, most probably waiting in the parking area. She keeps her poker face as she thinks.

"So, is it all true, Ito-san?" The giant pushed.

Lucky for Goro, the printer beeps at that very moment, informing that the task is completed. Wordlessly, Haruka makes a commanding gesture with her fingers and the young guard quickly scatters to get the printouts for her. She checks it briefly; making sure that everything is in order.

"Please sign here, here, and here," she pointed.

After Goro signed, Haruka puts the new credit card on her desk. But when he reaches his hand out to take it, she forcefully grabs his wrist and presses a very sensitive nerve spot there. The guard shouts in shock while trying to take his hand back. She calmly keeps her hold on him. She is sure by now he knows that she can bring him down within seconds despite their size differences. She presses that soft spot even harder and Goro writhes in unbearable pain. But he doesn't dare to ask her to release him.

_Good, _Haruka thought in relief. _If she had to keep listening to Goro, she couldn't guarantee what she would do_. _Goro's body might be as big and as muscular as Suoh, but his voice sounded so childish that it grated her patience._

"The next time I find you sneaking around my desk, peeping at something you shouldn't see, I won't hesitate to kill you where you stand. Do you understand, Goro?"

He can barely nod. His bulky body shakes violently that Haruka starts to worry that he will piss in his pants. It will be unpleasant to work in a room filled by the stench of piss for the rest of the day.

_Who was it that hired this coward? _

"I didn't do anything wrong," he started. But she doesn't take bullshit so she stopped his excuses by placing another finger on another sensitive spot. He practically howls in pain.

"Save your breath. We both know you were looking into my papers, Goro. Fortunately for you, there was nothing important on my table. Otherwise, I won't let you go. But this incident won't go unreported."

She pauses to make sure he gets her message. Goro keeps looking down as he tries to get away from her. Actually, it feels hilarious seeing a giant like him being so scared by a small size woman like her. But apparently, courage and confident are not defined by the size of your body.

"Now, take that credit card and go. I have things to do." She released him.

The time he took to grab the card and scramble out of the room must be record breaking.

Haruka waited right until the guard was almost passing the door before she called him sternly, "Goro."

The man instantly freezes in fear.

"Tell Ida, Muto, and Nagai to come here."

He turns around to look at her in panic.

She calmly continued, "I can understand that you feel sympathy after taking care of Emi for years. But I suggest you to keep your sympathy for yourself. Telling everyone you met about it won't do you any good."

The guard just stands there like a deer caught in the headlights. Feeling frustrated, she waves him away. Goro doesn't need to be told twice. He practically sprints out of the room.

Shrugging, Haruka shakes her head bitterly. She can understand Goro's feeling. Kirishima scolded her last night for doing similar mistake. Her sympathy for Takaba-sama persuaded her to interfere with her boss' affair. She won't say that it is a mistake to have sympathy. But it doesn't mean it is wise to blab about it to everyone.

She sighs. Goro looks too unstable. Making a self-note to keep a watch on Goro, she sends an email to report the incident to Kirishima.

* * *

><p><em>How dare that bitch treated him like that! He talked to her nicely and then she threatened him! Why does everyone always, always, look down on him?! His parents. His older brother. And now Ito-san! They all thought that he was useless and weak. Well, they are all wrong! <em>

Goro is ashamed enough with his life. He doesn't need another reminder of what a failure he is. His parents disowned him when he was 18, right after they caught him raping his brother's 5-years-old daughter. His brother almost killed him in his rage. The family kept the whole affair quiet, hoping that it would protect their traumatized daughter from public judgment. But they never wanted to talk to him anymore.

_How could everyone put all the blame only on him?_

He drives in anger through the heavy traffic, directing the car towards an abandoned manufacturing area an hour outside the city. What he needs now is to feel the power hidden deep inside him. He is going to prove that he is not weak. He has his own strength. Adrenaline pumps through his veins and he can feel his erection poking in his pants.

No one believes in him. Even Emi thinks that he is useless. He can see it written in her face. But at least, Emi understands that he just needs an outlet to show his power. Emi helped him to find a way to release an internal power that he didn't know he has. And she promised to give him more in the coming future.

Goro parks his car carelessly in the empty space outside. No one will scold him here for parking however he wishes. His body trembles excitedly as he walks into the now empty factory building.

"Mariko-chan, I am here to visit you," he greeted excitedly as soon as he entered the dimmed open room. His voice echoed in the wide vacant space.

Mariko looks at him in fear from where she is chained to a column. She tries to yank her chain to get away from him, hiding her naked body behind her thin weak arms. Dry blood stains her skin and her hair is sticky with dirt and mud. Silently begging for mercy, her slim dirty body shudders violently as she cries and Goro feels proud swelling inside him. This woman is scared of him. She trembles at the sight of his power. Why can't everyone react like that?

Goro feels worried about Emi's plan to get rid of that Akihito boy. Asami Ryuichi didn't become one of the strongest figures in the world by being benevolent. Everyone knows that. Asami-sama will kill anyone who dares to touch what is his. But Emi believes that her plan will work. Hopefully, Emi is right. Besides, at this point, he doesn't have a choice but to support Emi. He curses his own stupidity for falling for Emi's charm. But who could reject a sweet little thing like Emi trembling at his feet, sucking his dick in adoration? It is too bad Emi doesn't want to do that anymore.

Well, Emi promised that he would get a taste of this Akihito. The boy is an exact copy of Emi, so Goro is sure that the boy will taste as good as Emi. Emi also said that she would give that bitch to him. Goro grins wickedly. When Ito-san is finally chained to this same column, she won't be able to threaten him anymore. He feels his erection hardening into a steel just from that very thought.

"Let me...go...Please...I told her everything...Please, sir...let me go...," Mariko begged in fear.

She is trying desperately to crawl away when Goro gets closer. Feeling invincible and powerful, he grabs her hair roughly, pulling her towards him. She yells and shouts but no one can hear her here. When she fights him, crying for help until what is left of her voice becomes hoarse, the bulky man hits her across her face, making her choke with blood before he pins her small thin figure under his muscular giant body. He punches her a few more times until the woman stops her futile struggle. And damn, it feels good.

He puts her on her knees and hands because he wants to take her like an animal. Later, as he fucks her hard until she bleeds, striking her head and back with his leather belt whenever he wants, Mariko's almost inhuman scream makes him feel even more powerful than ever.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. Extreme Hatred<strong>

_Takumi stood defiantly in the middle of the luxurious hotel room. Truthfully speaking, he was scared. His heart raced so fast inside his chest that he thought it would jump out of his mouth. He prayed that it would truly happen because then he would die and it would solve his problem. But of course, luck hadn't sided with him and his family for the last few months and such a good fortune would never happen._

_Right across of him, sitting in the comfortable chair with a bearing that screamed power, Asami Ryuichi relaxed and observed him arrogantly. A glass of high quality whiskey in hand, the older man took his time assessing the 'good' he just bought. Takumi knew exactly how much money Asami Ryuichi spent on him. And the powerful man still promised a generous monthly allowance that would help to pay his family debt. The boy, still at the tender age of early 19, was not naive enough to believe that the crime lord would spend that much money just for watching him like this._

_"Strip."_

_The order was cold and sharp. It was not unexpected, but Takumi still cringed at the thought. He had no other choice, though, so obediently he stripped, trying to do it as clinical as possible. His hands trembled when finally he took his underwear off. Like a mantra, he silently chanted a name, trying to find comfort at the thought of the woman that he loved._

_Aoi. Give me strength. Aoi. Oh, Aoi._

_"Hands at your side, brat. Face straight at me. Open your eyes. I want to see what I bought."_

_Again, that emotionless voice gave an order. He moved his hands to his sides, hoping he could close his eyes to hide his embarrassment but knowing better that to disobey the order. Asami Ryuichi's secretary had spent a week training him on how to behave. Tears pooled at the corner of his eyes, but Takumi blinked to stop it from falling. He was determined not to show any weakness to this man. _

_"Hmm, way too muscular and tall for my taste. Your skin color is a bit too dark as well," his master complained. "But you have almost the same fire in your pure hazelnut eyes."_

_The comment didn't make any sense for him. The same fire with what? He wanted to ask but he was too shock to voice his question because he noticed that, for the first time, there was a hint of emotion in that cold voice. It was very subtle, carefully hidden deep under layers and layers of tight control. But Takumi knew that it was there. Other people might not notice it. But Takumi had spent hours daily observing everything around him, trying to capture the emotion of both living and non-living things through his paintings. _

_Was that sadness? Longing? Love? _

_He knew it didn't matter what emotion his master tried to hide. It wouldn't change the situation. But analyzing it in his head gave him something to concentrate on, something other than what would happen soon._

_"I know you had a girlfriend. Hara Aoi, wasn't it?"_

_He gritted his teeth in anger. This man didn't deserve to say that sacred name. He felt that it would somehow taint the pure Aoi._

_"Did you sleep with her?"_

_That was an unexpected question and Takumi instantly blushed. His face, neck, and ears felt hot from shame. He opened his mouth to answer, however, he found that he couldn't find any word. _

_"Ah, you didn't," his master correctly guessed based on his reaction to the question. "You are a virgin. What a pleasant surprise." _

_Takumi flinched at the comment. It sounded as if Asami Ryuichi just bought a house or something and the man was happy to found that the house came with a complete set of furniture._

_"Have you ever slept with anyone else, then? A man? A woman?"_

_"Why do you even bother to ask? You know everything about me already," he tried to dodge the question._

_"There are only so much that a private investigator can find. Most of the times, a person hides more than what we can find about him," the master explained with a surprising patience. "So, anyone before?"_

_"Why does it matter?" He asked with a feeling of being utterly defeated. "You have me. Isn't that enough? Do you have to humiliate me as well?"_

_His master didn't reply immediately. When Asami Ryuichi finally spoke again, his next statement wasn't related in any way with their previous discussion. Takumi breathed a relief sigh, believing that the subject would be left behind. At that point, Takumi didn't know that Asami Ryuichi would never let go of anything that the man wanted._

_"Your father showed me your paintings. They were impressive. You have talent."_

_The boy laughed bitterly. "It doesn't matter now. I won't be able to paint anymore. But, thank you, I guess."_

_"Why won't you paint anymore? Do you hate it?"_

_Takumi snorted. "Kirishima told me that you didn't like anyone from your 'collection' to go outside. I would be trapped inside the house. I guess, you wouldn't allow me to paint as well. I just need to sit like a pretty little toy, waiting for you to visit in the wee hours of the night."_

_His master tilted his head as if he was considering his next words carefully. "True," the man said. "I didn't like that person to go outside, because it was dangerous. But what I said regarding this issue had never mattered in the first place. So you can go outside and continue to paint, if that is what you want. It will be boring to visit a pretty little toy who just sit there obediently."_

_Again, his master made another confusing statement. But at least Takumi knew now that he could continue to paint. It was more than what he expected he would get. Painting was his life. He couldn't imagine a life without it. _

_His relief must be written in his face, though, because Asami Ryuichi smirked at him and calmly said, "I saw this painting of yours. It was truly beautiful. The object was a very young man or woman; I couldn't guess the gender. He or she looked to be sleeping soundly. A very simple painting but it was obvious that you put so much love there."_

_Takumi froze in shock. It was a secret he had hidden carefully, a desire he had admitted to no one, a painful memory that he just managed to forget because of Aoi's unconditional love. But now, this man came and poked on that wound nonchalantly. Oh god, he hated this man so much. Please, please, let Asami Ryuichi be damned to the seventh hell for every misery he brought to others._

_"My best friend. He died years ago," he finally answered sourly. "I always believed that I hid it well."_

_That painting showed only part of a sleeping face. People didn't even pay much attention to it because it was very different from his usual style. Takumi was actually impressed that this man who seemed to know nothing but blood and violence would be able to see past through the thick layers of colors to find the hidden meaning._

_"Ah, I thought you slept with him. But apparently, it was an unrequited love," his master chuckled. For a while, that handsome face softened and Takumi was surprised to find a bit of warmth behind that icy mask. "Don't worry. You hide your love pretty well. I can only see it because I have a few photographs with similar concept back at home. Every time I saw those beautiful photographs hanging on my wall, I always believed that the photographer had fallen in love with the object of his photographs. And yet..."_

_His master's voice trailed into silence._

_And yet? What?_

_In a blink, that face turned stony and the warmth he thought he saw was gone. The next time Asami Ryuichi talked again, his voice was dreary, scaring Takumi with its emotionless tone._

_"I am sure you know by now that I am not a gentle person. If you want to change your mind, this is your last chance."_

_The offer made him holding his breath in hope. For a second, he thought to himself, '_Thank god, this man is willing to let me go if I want to'_. But then he remembered his father's solid face, asking him to do this one sacrifice not only for his entire family but also for the hundreds of people in their employment, and he shook his head in determination._

_"No? Fine, then. I won't lie to you. It will hurt. A lot. But when it does, remember that I had given you choices but you decided to stay."_

_He sneered. "Like I have any other choice but to stay."_

_His master looked at him with a glint of disappointment in his eyes. "There are always choices, Takumi. But some of us are not brave enough to take the risk of those choices."_

_That night Takumi learnt a few things. He learnt what true pain was as it tore his body apart in a pure scorching agony until he thought he couldn't breathe. He learnt the feeling of being dirty as his master touched his body in a way that made him feeling utterly disgusted. And he learnt how extreme the hatred he felt for Asami Ryuichi, a man whom he believed causing all the misery in his life. The hatred was so extreme that Takumi started to make a plan to kill the crime lord in his sleep._

_But of course, the opportunity had never came. Asami Ryuichi didn't sleep with any of his collection. After every sex, the powerful man would hastily leave Takumi's bed, take a quick shower and went with a face that looked as unsatisfied as when he came._

* * *

><p>"Ugh, I always hate the smell of your place!"<p>

Emi wrinkles her little pretty nose in disgust, trying her best to ignore the heavy turpentine smell in the air.

Takumi doesn't pay the annoying girl any attention. Instead, he uses his brush to get a bit of deep red paint from his palette and carefully adds the bloody red on top of the black and dark magenta colors on his canvas. Observing his own painting, he nods in satisfaction. Now, that's more like how he wanted the painting to be.

The girl peeks from over his shoulder. "Geez, why do you always make such a depressing painting? It makes me feeling miserable just by looking at it."

"Go away, Emi," he scorned at her.

There were times when his paintings were full of bright, warm and colorful colors. But those times were long gone. Takumi doesn't even remember when was the last time he felt bright and warm and colorful.

He quitted university a few weeks after his first night with Asami Ryuichi despite the older man's unexpected suggestion for him to continue his study. Being in crowd suddenly made him scared. He felt as if people were always staring at him knowingly. It was not like any of those people knew the fact that he had slept with a man much older than him, someone he didn't even love, for money. But still, he was afraid to look at anyone in the eyes since then.

Avoiding Aoi was even harder. The girl kept trying to talk to him for the next few months, asking for any kind of explanation on why he wanted to break up with her. And he missed her so much. But he knew better than keeping his relationship with her. He may be able to at least be friends with Aoi. But still, Takumi didn't want to take any chance. Aoi's safety is the most important thing for him. If his master found out that he still loves Aoi, it would mean death for him and the girl.

Actually, Asami Ryuichi didn't spend a lot of time with him. His master stopped having sex with him after their third or fourth time. Sometimes, Asami Ryuichi would request Takumi to accompany him to an art exhibition or casual party. But that was all. The man hasn't touched him further than a kiss on the lips or an arm around his waist for more than a year. Takumi feels relief that he could avoid the sex and those art exhibitions were not that bad. In fact, he enjoyed them.

"Tsk, why do you always act so rude towards me? Here I thought I would give you a favor," the girl brought him back from his walk along the memory lane.

He didn't even need to think before he straightly told her, "No."

"You haven't even heard anything about it!"

He snorted. "I don't care. I won't receive any favor from you, Emi. Heaven knows that your favor hurts and kills. I am not stupid. I heard rumors about you. I may live an unhappy life, but it is still better than being dead. Besides, I told you I was NOT interested in your little harem game. You want to become Asami Ryuichi's favorite whore? Go ahead. You want him in your bed every night? Be my guest. Just leave me out of your fight for power. In fact, feel free to keep him busy. The less I see him, the better I will feel."

He could hear, instead of see, the frustration in her voice. "Well, no wonder your painting looks so ugly. Obviously, you are blind. How come you feel nothing for our master? He is one of the wealthiest and most powerful men on earth. Not only that, he is handsome and sexy. Do you know that-"

"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever, Emi. Just get out of my house before I call the guard. Or should I call Kirishima-san directly and tell him that you are disturbing me?"

"You will regret it if you kick me out now, Takumi, because-"

He almost shouted at her. "Which part of my sentence don't you understand? I thought I spoke in Japanese and YOU should understand Japanese! But-"

"-I can offer you a way to get your freedom back!" Emi finished by increasing the volume of her voice to beat his own shouting.

That statement stopped Takumi's next retort. He stills in his position, sitting on a wooden stool, paint brush between his fingers, and his favorite palette in his other hand. Slowly, he turns around to look at Emi. The girl grins smugly at his reaction.

"Interested now, Takumi?"

There is a glint of danger in the girl's eyes. Takumi feels shivers run up his spine. He may regret his decision later. But it doesn't matter now. He wants to see his family again. He longs to be a free man once again. He yearns for the warm feeling of being truly in love, a much as being loved unconditionally. If whatever proposal Emi has for him can give him that, he is willing to take any risk.

"I know you hate the master, Takumi, for whatever reason that I will never understand. That was why I stayed away from you up until now. You hate him so much that you wouldn't stand in my way. But now, I need your help to destroy master's favorite toy. He likes it a bit too much for my taste. I believe that this new toy had distracted him from me so I want to take it from him as soon as possible. It will make master a bit sad, most probably, but I will be there to comfort him. Once it is done, as Asami Ryuichi's only partner and the mother of his heirs, I will use my power to release you. I will pay the rest of your family's debt but you must stay away from Asami-sama. It is not a bad option for you, isn't it?"

The moment he heard her mentioning the opportunity of making Asami Ryuichi sad, he didn't care anymore about anything else. His voice was dangerously low and full of his bitterness as he asked, "How do you know that this person is not just another one from his collection? Don't get me wrong. If it can hurt Asami Ryuichi in any way, I am interested. But I want to make sure I don't risk my life for another disposable toy."

She made a face that clearly showed her passionate rage as she replied, "I have my own sources. They helped me digging some facts here and there. This boy might be the one we all tried to imitate. He might be _the_ _original_."

Now, that's interesting. Takumi suspected that there was an _original_ one long time ago, someone that triggered his master's near-mad obsession for light brown hair boys and girls with pretty hazelnut eyes. But he always believed that _the original one_ was no longer alive. Otherwise, why would his master spend time with the imitations?

Emi smiled sweetly like an innocent angel as she continued, "The master may be wealthy and powerful. But at times, he can act like a little naughty boy. Sometimes, he has so much fun playing that he forgets to go home for dinner. As the adults, we need to slap those kind of naughty children a bit so they will understand the rule. The blow will sting for a while, but I will pamper him later. He will be fine."

He stares at her in disbelief as if she just admitted that she was an alien. Shit, she must be crazy to believe that a man like Asami Ryuichi will let anyone to slap him on the face and do nothing about it. But blinded with hatred at the powerful man, he nodded, "Fine. I will help you. If the boy is the _original_, finding this boy dead will break Asami Ryuichi into pieces. There is nothing that I want to see more than that. You can keep the remaining pieces for all I care. I don't understand why you love that cruel man so much, but I guess, for now we need to agree to disagree. Just keep your promise to let me go. "

Her satisfaction was clearly shown on her face as she confirmed, "I will let you go once that boy is dead. That's a promise."

* * *

><p><strong>Part 3. Twisted Love Stories<strong>

The bell rings again that evening. When I open the main door, I find Kirishima standing in front of the penthouse, patiently waiting for me to let him in instead of going inside on his own like he usually does. He did this everyday for the last two days.

"Why are you keep doing this, Kirishima? I have better things to do than opening the door for you. You didn't bother with ringing the bell before. Damn, you have your own keys," I frowned at him to show my annoyance.

Kirishima points his forefinger at me who is trying to calm the howling and fighting monster in my arms. Obviously, Rikiya and Naoyuki decided that it would be fun to spend the day crying at the top of their tiny lungs and they haven't stopped since they started hours ago, giving me a terrible headache and a pair of almost deaf ears. Nothing I did can stop them and I began to worry that they would cry until their own tears choked them to death. Knowing that my patience was thinning, I seriously considered the idea of shoving them off into the bastard who fathered them. If Asami wanted kids, he should take care of them himself.

"Let me help you with the twins. You deserve some rest," Kirishima offered good-naturedly.

But as soon as he offered, my pride kicked in and I wanted to refuse his offer just because I didn't want to listen to Asami or anyone who is associated with him.

"I can take care of them myself," I snapped.

He let out a long and tired sigh. "Brat. Stop being stubborn and childish. It has been two days already. Shouldn't you be tired of pouting and sulking to Asami-sama by now? The kids can feel that you are agitated. That is why they are being difficult. Let me help you feeding and bathing them, at the very least."

I almost say no, just like what I did for the last two days. Almost. However, I am so tired, both physically and emotionally. No matter how much I like the kids, right now they are so overwhelming that I would love to have some break from them. Admitting my defeat. I nod and let Kirishima in.

Kirishima doesn't talk much as he takes Naoyuki from my arms. He leaves me so I can take a nap on the sofa in the living room. As I lie there, closing my eyes and massaging my forehead, I can hear the twins start to calm down in their room. Dozing off, I thought that maybe Kirishima was right. I felt so angry with Asami that the kids must be able to sense it. No wonder they were so uneasy today.

More than an hour later, Kirishima wakes me up gently before he offers a bowl of warm miso soup. Gratefully, I take it and start to sip it slowly as he sits in the single chair nearby.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"No problem," he replied.

Kirishima turns on the TV as I enjoy the light soup he made me. He switches to news channel and I try to follow the financial discussion being debated by two professors whose names I don't recognize. It is so boring and after a few minutes, I lose my interest on the topic already. But Kirishima seems to be interested as he nods and shakes his head every now and then.

"So," I started when I couldn't stand to listen to the debate anymore, "he sired those kids."

Kirishima didn't turn his attention away from the TV as he replied, "Biologically speaking, yes, they are his. Legally, they are yours."

"Right. And that should make me feel better," I grunted.

"I just stated the fact. It was not meant to make you feel better or worse."

I stare at Kirishima with a new fresh irritation. Somehow, I was hoping that Kirishima would be more supportive. I meant, my damned lover practically told me that he slept with another woman behind my back. He fathered two children from her and, not stopping there, he had the guts to register those children as my official sons without asking for my consent. Who in their sane mind will approve that kind of actions? But, of course, being as abnormal as the rest of Asami's world, Kirishima will take Asami's side no matter what kind of obscene things my lover does.

Anger filled my voice as I whispered through gritted teeth in the vain effort to keep my fury under control. "I am such an idiot, am I? I always believed that he loved me."

If he noticed my agitation, Kirishima hid his reaction well. He stayed calm -his eyes were focused on the numbers shown on Asami's ultra HD TV screen- while answering my rhetorical question unnecessarily, "Well, you were always an idiot. I won't argue with you there. But you were an idiot for a completely different reason than the one you had in mind." He finally looked at me before he continued firmly, "You were an idiot if you couldn't see the depth of his feelings for you."

I lost my patience then. "Oh, great! Were you saying that this was his way of showing his love? Tell me, should I feel loved when he did such things for me? _'Oh Asami, what a great gift you have right here: your babies with another woman! Such a wonderful surprise! Thank you, dear! You are so thoughtful.'_ Is that what I should say to him?" I mocked.

The man whom I always think of as a friend up until this moment just shrugs at my burst of emotion. "Asami-sama is always a bit twisted, I have to admit. But he takes care of those he loves. You are one of those few people."

I laugh sarcastically. "Sure. I am one of his many lovers. I am so grateful that I want to cry. What an honor the great Asami Ryuichi gave me."

Kirishima snorted at me. "What I was trying to say is that you are one of his family, brat. And as far as I know, he doesn't have a lot of people that he considers as family. You. Me. Suoh. And now those two kids as well. That will be all, I guess."

"And his other lovers?" My voice sounded weak and uncertain even to my own ears. I hated the fact that Kirishima would easily notice the insecurity that was barely hidden in my question. Or if I want to be honest with myself, it is not hidden at all.

"He has no other lovers. Not that I know of. I told you, I am the one who arranges his schedule. I literally know with whom he spent every single minute in his daily life."

"Oh? Are you sure? Because he just told me that he slept with another woman."

"He did."

"Then, how come you told me that he doesn't have any other lovers?! What will you call someone he slept with if not a lover?"

"What will I call someone he paid to sleep with; is that what you mean? Please pardon my words, brat, but I will call that person a whore."

Now, it is my turn to snort. "Like I will believe you. He doesn't have to pay to get anyone into his bed," I pointed out the obvious fact.

"He didn't have to. But he wanted to. He made sure to pay those people a huge amount of money for their _'trouble',_" Kirishima made an air quotes with his fingers. "That was the only way he knew to draw the thin line between you and the whores he slept with. They satisfied his needs and he paid them. It was just business between him and those people. But the thing between you and him? Well, you need to figure it out yourself."

As always, his blunt reply stunned me speechless.

"Why me? Why not one of those others?"

Kirishima laughs dryly. "That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? Why does it have to be you, a ridiculously idiotic brat with no sense of self preservation and such a stubbornness that can shame even the still mountains?" Shaking his head bitterly, he looked at me in the eyes as he answered, "I don't know. I asked the same question to myself many times. Asami-sama slept with so many men and women for years since we met but I saw none of them as my friend. Why do I care for you and not the others? Maybe it is because of your kindness. Or maybe it is because of your charming naivety. Or because of the way you drilled yourself into other people's life. I don't know, brat. What I know is that you don't need a reason to care for someone."

I sneered at him. "And since when did you get the certification to be an expert in human relationship, Kirishima? I have never seen you in a relationship with anyone before. I doubt you had been in love with anyone. You just moved from one woman to another. So, don't you dare lecturing me on this subject!"

His expression upon hearing my insult was shocking. For once, he removed his emotionless mask and showed a shade of sadness that I had never seen before.

"I loved a woman once," he told me serenely.

He looked so uptight as if he was trying his best to keep his face stoic and failed miserably.

"You talked in past tense. What happened to her? Did she leave you?" I asked out of concern and not because I still wanted to mock him.

"She died," he answered shortly.

I swallowed, cursing my own stupidity for bringing the topic up in the first place. "I am so sorry to hear that."

He waved his hand in a dismissing gesture. "It is okay. It happened years ago. It doesn't bother me much now. To be honest, I feel better after saying it out loud just now," he paused to take a few deep breaths before he continued, "I loved her since I was young."

My eyes widen in curiosity. This is a story he most probably had never told anyone before.

"She was beautiful and so full of life. I couldn't help but falling for her. When I was mature enough to understand that she didn't love me as a man, I was devastated. I was so young, you see, and I naively believed that the world had to rotate around my will. So when it didn't, I got angry. I left her. I did whatever I wanted without any care of my own life. I didn't realize what she had to endure back at home."

I hold my breath in anticipation, waiting patiently for him to continue his story. He doesn't need to say anything to tell me that it is not easy for him to talk about this. It is clearly shown through the stiffness of his body and the way he stares at nothing as if he can see those scenes right in front of his eyes right now.

"Her father raped her. Multiple times. When I found out, it was too late. She was broken, staring at me like an empty shell, and there was nothing I could do to turn back the time. She was just 17. She should have years of happiness in front of her. But that jerk took it from her. I killed that old bastard with my own hands, and still, everyday I hoped that I could kill him all over again."

I gasped in shock. It all sounded so unfair and I wanted to weep for the young Kirishima and this young woman that I had never even meet. I wanted to hug him and soothed his old pain with gentle words. But Kirishima smiled when he noticed the tears that pooled at the corner of my eyes.

"You don't have to cry for me, Brat. I am fine now. But, back then, I was so scared. I was barely 14 with a dead body at my feet and an emotionally and physically wounded woman that I had to protect. And I didn't know what to do. I would be in jail if it was not for Asami-sama."

When Kirishima didn't elaborate further, I opened my mouth to ask but he stopped me.

"You would be better not knowing how Asami-sama did it. Anyway, she died years later. Her father had AIDS and the bastard gave it to her while raping her body." He stopped to laugh resentfully, "You know, when I was young, I always thought that there would be time for everything that I wanted in life. I learnt the hard way that life was much shorter than we thought. Now, I regret every minute I spent running away from my love for her. I should have stayed. It didn't matter whether she accepted my love or not. At least that way, I could protect her."

He stared at me long and hard before he said, "Life is way too short to be spent in anger with the person you love. Today, that person may be by your side. The next day, he may be gone. Do you want to waste your precious time doing nothing just because you are too afraid to admit your love?"

"It is easy for you to say. You loved this beautiful kind-hearted woman, not a crime lord with a twisted way to show his love," I pouted.

Kirishima just snickered at me. "Tell me something new about twisted love, boy. The woman I loved was my own sister. Well, she was my half-sister -we have different fathers- but it doesn't change the fact that we are siblings."

* * *

><p>When the doorbell rings again that night, hours after Kirishima left me alone with my thoughts, I am almost asleep. I try to ignore it, but the person outside the door keeps ringing the bell like crazy. <em>Can't Kirishima wait until tomorrow morning? Does he notice what time is it now? I would seriously kill him if I found out that he disturbed my sleep for anything less important than the end of the world<em>, I thought angrily. Grumbling, I drag my feet to walk the distance to the front door.

"What the hell, Kirishima? I told you I would forgive the bastard! But not now! Don't I deserve a few more days of sulking?!" I shouted as I forced my sleeping brain to find out how to open the stupid door.

It seems Kirishima is in a rush, though. He rings the bell impatiently.

"Stop ringing the bell, you jerk! Use your own key! Did you-"

I stopped when I saw the person standing in front of me. For a short while, I thought that someone put a mirror in front of the door and I was looking at my own reflection. Then, the person moves and I realize that it was not my reflection.

"Hello, Akihito. It is nice to finally talk to you."

The casual greeting and that feminine voice turn my blood cold. Fear churns in my stomach as my brain tries to deny the truth, a hard thing to do considering that _the truth_ is standing calmly in front of me. It is easy to connect the dots by looking at this woman who looks like a copy of myself, knowing my lover's babies sleeping inside my house. I must be a complete idiot if I couldn't guess who she is.

_No way. That bastard won't do something this cruel to me, will he? Not like this. Please, God. Not like this._

She must notice the recognition showed in my face because she continued without waiting for my reply, "So, Asami-sama told you about me and the kids."

I felt numb when I nodded grimly. "He did."

_What he didn't mention to me was that you looked exactly like me to the point where I felt scared just looking at you. That bastard must be crazy! Why does he have to shove this woman to me? _

"It is good that you know about me already. It will be easier for us to be...friends. At least I hope we can be friends," she smiled sweetly that made her looked like a beautiful angel. "Asami-sama told me that I could visit the twins. May I come in?"

_No,_ I wanted to scream the word at her. _No, I don't want to let you to come to __**our**__ house. I don't want you near __**my**__ babies. Ever. You look beautiful and kind and graceful and all. I am sure everyone loves you. But I don't care. You have no right to come here at 2am and barge into my house._

But what can I say? This is Asami's house and those are his and her children. I am the outsider in this messed up relationship. And there will never be any better way to rub that fact on my face than this situation.

_Bastard, why do you always make it so damn difficult for me to accept our relationship?_

Slowly, I move aside to give her some room. "Sure. Come in."


	13. Chapter 13 The Unstoppable Lady Boss

**Disclaimer : VF belongs to its author**

**Warning : Violence**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13. The Unstoppable Lady Boss <strong>

**Part 1. Choices**

_**4.14 PM, around 10 hours before Akihito met Emi**_

"Arata, wait!"

Kou tried his best to catch up with Arata, but his friend didn't slow down at all. "Hey! I said, wait for me!" He finally managed to grab Arata's arm and bring the angry man into a stop. Arata turned around in irritation and Kou couldn't help but to flinch at the fury he saw in his friend's eyes.

"What, Kou?" Arata snapped.

They were both standing outside an abandoned manufacturing complex, around an hour drive outside the city. The complex was huge but it was totally empty. No one would hear his voice even if Kou screamed at the top of his lungs. Their phones didn't get any coverage here. It wasn't possible to call anyone if anything went wrong. Kou didn't think that it was wise for the two of them to walk into one of the building just because a text message that Arata received less than two hours ago.

Kou leaned towards his friend to catch his breath. He could understand his friend's need to get here as fast as possible. He truly did. But he still believed that they should go back to the city to get more friends before they entered the building. It would be better if they could ask the police to come. But Arata refused to involve the police, afraid that Mariko's kidnaper would somehow know that they didn't follow his order and hurt Mariko.

"Let's...," Kou tried to breath more air into his lungs as fast as possible. "Let's get back and get more people with us before we go there. No one would notice if something happened to us here. At least, someone else can stand here and report to the police if -"

"My sister needed me, Kou! I don't have time to waste! If you are too afraid to go there, just go home!"

Kou took another deep breath before he tried to argue one more time, "Listen to me, Arata! I just want us to be careful, okay? You are in panic. You don't think. Now, you need to calm down. Let's get a few more people-"

"Who?"

The flat question stopped Kou's reasoning. "Who what?"

_'Great, I am so nervous, I can't even form a more comprehensible sentence. What a great preparation we had before we jumped into danger!' _Kou thought bitterly.

"Who will come? The only friends I had were those people from the office. And they didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore after I was fired. I doubt they would come here even if I asked them to. Takato was on vacation with his family. And the text message clearly told us not to bring the police."

Well, this was the difficult part.

"Umm, I know _someone_, " Kou explained carefully. "He could help us. But I really, really, need to call him first. Let's drive to a place where we can get signal so I can make a phone call."

"Who is this guy? I couldn't trust just anyone. What if he called the police and jeopardizes everything? Mariko's life is in danger here."

Kou started fidgeting. How could he explain to Arata that the person he wanted to call was Akihito? Akihito would know what to do. His best friend was made to survive danger. Kou? He didn't even know how to escape when someone robbed his wallet and beat him into a pulp on his way home a few years ago.

"I can't tell you, Arata, but you have to trust me," he tried to calm his friend down. "My friend knows some people who can help us."

"Who. Is. He?" Arata let out each word through his gritted teeth.

Arata looked at Kou suspiciously and Kou couldn't blame him. Arata just received a short text message with Mariko's photo attached. The message was a typical threat that Kou often heard in any action movie. Basically it told Arata to come here if he wanted to get his sister back otherwise this person wouldn't guarantee what would happen to his sister. Kou wouldn't believe that message if not for the photo that was attached with the message. The photo was horrible and Kou vomited right after he took a look at that photo. He couldn't imagine what Arata felt and he understood why his friend couldn't trust anyone by now. Not even Kou.

_Shit. This is the worst case ever. _

"It is Akihito," Kou answered as calm as he could. He didn't want to anger Arata more than he already had. "Let me call Akihito. He will know what to do. Please, Arata. You have to trust me."

His answer rendered Arata speechless. Obviously, his friend didn't expect that name.

"Akihito was gone, Kou. You said that you couldn't contact him for months. No one could contact him."

"He was. But he contacted me two days ago. He was on a photography project in South East Asia or something. You know how he is," Kou tried to lighten the mood. This was not the time to explain about Akihito's lover and all. "Jobs come and he will fly there immediately. Akihito will know what to do, Arata. He was... You know that he worked as a crime photographer before, right? He knows these kinds of thing, how to handle it, the right people to contact and so on. It is in his blood. We? We know nothing."

"He's back and he doesn't call me." Arata looked lost and Kou didn't have the heart to break his friend's heart into more pieces.

"He is worried about you," Kou replied diplomatically while petting his friend's arm. "He asked me about you and he wanted to offer his help to find Mariko. Let's call him, Arata. He can help us."

For a short moment, Kou thought that he managed to persuade Arata to postpone his crazy plan to go into that building without preparation. His friend opened his mouth as if he wanted to agree. But then Arata's face turned harder and his friend shook his head bitterly.

"No. I wouldn't ask for his help," Arata replied in a sour tone.

_Good god, have mercy on me. Why does Arata have to be stubborn about this now of all the time?_

"Come on, man! Don't be ridiculous. We can't handle this alone," Kou argued.

"He wanted to be out of my life! He made his choice, Kou! I made mine! I am not going to ask for his help!" Arata shouted in anger. "Now, you made yours. Are you coming or not?"

What else could he say? He couldn't let Arata walking into danger alone. Kou let out a long sigh as he replied, "Of course I am coming with you."

_**5.44 PM, around 8 hours before Akihito met Emi**_

Kirishima sipped his coffee slowly as he watched the boy moving around the kitchen. Takaba-sama looked tired. He was sure the boy must be very angry at Asami-sama until he couldn't sleep. But Suoh was right. At least, Takaba-sama didn't run away like he usually did. Kirishima could only hope that he somehow managed to soften the boy's heart to forgive his boss. If the boy couldn't learn anything from Kirishima's experience with his sister, there would be nothing more he could do to change the boy's mind.

"How is he?" The soft voice pulled Kirishima back from his own thought.

"Asami-sama is well," he answered absentmindedly.

The boy laughed resentfully. "I am so angry at him these last two days that I can't think of anything else. And he isn't affected at all."

Oh. He gave the wrong answer, did he not? "Well, now that I think about it, Asami-sama looked distracted and he made mistakes in his works," he quickly fixed his answer.

Takaba-sama chuckled dryly, knowing his obvious attempt to save his boss' ass from the boy's anger. "Ryu doesn't make mistake in his works. Ever. But you will do anything for him, even lying, won't you, Kirishima?"

He shrugged. There was no use to pretend anymore. "I will but I didn't lie to you when I told you about my sister."

The boy didn't say anything to that.

"Asami-sama can be very difficult to understand. But he is a good person in his own way. Whatever he did, he did it for you. I know it is hard for you to believe at the moment. I..."

_Shit. What was he doing now, trying to defend Asami-sama in front of his boss' lover? Didn't he tell Haruka to stay away from this affair? Why can't he do the same?_

The boy's easy laugh stopped his remorse. For the first time that evening, Takaba-sama didn't sound so bitter.

"No one will devote his or her life so willingly to a person who is bad, Kirishima. But Ryu has at least two persons who will die for him willingly. I believe that he can't be all that bad to be able to gain Suoh's and your trust. Don't worry. I love him way too much to hate him forever. But I need more time to calm down, okay?"

Too speechless to answer, Kirishima merely nodded.

"And stop ringing the bell, you jerk. Use your own key!"

Shaking his head, he explained, "I can't. Asami-sama told us to respect your space for now and-"

"Yeah. Yeah. And you will do whatever he said exactly to the last letter."

"He also told me to tell you that he will have a business trip for a few days. He will leave in a few hours but he will be back soon. He wanted me to remind you that you can always call him anytime. Anytime, he said. Of course, you can also call me if you prefer. But I need to strongly emphasize that when he said anytime it meant that you-"

"Fine. Fine. I got what he meant. He wanted me to call him as soon as I calm down. Actually, It will be easier for both of us if he just come and tell me himself. Nevermind. I promise I will do it, okay? Now, get out!" The smile softened the harsh words. "I am so tired. I want to clean the house a bit then go to sleep."

He was at the door when the boy called him softly, "Kirishima?"

He stopped and turned around.

"Thank you. You are a good friend."

The simple appreciation was enough for him. Kirishima felt something intangible choking his throat and he couldn't say anything without sounding like he was going to cry. So he bowed low in respect to Asami Ryuichi's partner and left the penthouse without another words.

_**8.12 PM, around 6 hours before Akihito met Emi**_

"Urghh," Kou grumbled while rubbing the back of his head.

What was going on? He was lying on a hard, cold concrete floor. His head hurt like hell. And his entire body ached.

Kou remembered walking behind Arata into a building, one that was specified in the text message. It was so quiet inside that he could hear the sound of cockroaches and rats scattering away from them. The air was damp and the foul smell of urine and something rotten instantly invaded his nerves. He moved carefully, trying as much as he could to not touching anything that looked suspiciously disgusting.

Then everything went blank.

"Kou. Kou. Are you okay?" Arata's voice sounded far and worried. Where was he?

"Arata?" He tried to talk but his own voice was rasp and hoarse. "What happened?"

"You were hit. Don't you remember?" Arata whispered in concern.

Hit? By who...?

The image of Arata's sister, unconscious and chained into a column in the middle of the vast empty warehouse, came to Kou. He recalled seeing Arata run to his sister. Then...nothing. He couldn't remember a thing.

"Ah, you finally woke up. Kou, isn't it? Arata told me your name. In fact, he told me everything. He is such a nice guy, isn't he?"

Slowly, Kou's eyes adjusted to the dimmed lighting. He could see Arata sitting on the floor, holding the unconscious Mariko tightly in his arms as if to protect her from any harm. Another person sat on a chair beside him, stroking his friend's hair gently.

Blinking, he asked, "Who are you? You looked like Akihito, but you are not him."

The laugh was girly and sweet. It turned Kou's stomach until he felt like puking. Well, Kou had never like candies and sweets since he was young. So, he believed it was understandable that this girl's way-too-sweet voice freaked him out instead of calming him down.

When he tried to bring himself up so he could face whoever this person was with more dignity, he realized that his ankles were chained to another column, separating him a few meters away from his friends. He yanked it and his heart sank. The chain was solid steel. There was no way he could get out of it without proper tools.

"Finally, someone who can differentiate me from that boy. You are the first, you know," the compliment brought his attention back to the girl sitting on the chair.

Ignoring that stupid chain for now, Kou snorted. "Akihito and I have known each other since we were in elementary school. Even if I want to, I won't be able to mistaken someone else for him. Who on earth are you? Why am I chained to this stupid thing?"

Kou couldn't miss the way Arata flinched at his rude tone. Whatever happened while he was unconscious, it made his friend afraid of this girl. Arata didn't even dare to get away from her casual-but-not-too-casual touches. Kou noticed dark bruise below Arata's left eye and a trace of blood at the corner of his lips.

"I told Arata to come here alone. But now that you were here uninvited, Kou, I need to do something about it, don't I?"

Arata closed his eyes and held his sister closer. "Please, Emi-san. Release us. Please. I don't understand why you have to hurt my sister. But we have nothing to do with Akihito. I won't say a word about this incident to anyone, I promise."

Arata's desperate request froze Kou on his spot. "What? Arata, are you crazy?! This bitch hurt your sister! Look at Mariko! Look at all the injuries on her body! And you said you wouldn't say a word about this incident as long as she released us? We should report this to the police! We must seek justice-"

"Shut up, Kou! I am trying to save our ass here! These people have guns!"

"I don't care even if they have-"

The blow hit Kou harder than anything in his life. He fell to the ground face first, and accidently bit the inside of his mouth. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. Instinctively, he tried to crawl away from his invisible torturer. He didn't even move far before he received another kick in his stomach. Then another kick. And another. Until he started gasping for air and puking into the floor.

From somewhere, he could hear Arata sobbing while begging to the bitch, "Please. Emi-san, please. Tell your man to stop. I beg you." Kou couldn't see Arata as pain blurred his vision. But he knew from his friend's voice that Arata was near breaking down from all the pressure.

He wanted to tell Arata to stop. This kind of people was just like Kou's brothers. They loved to see people being miserable. They thought they were powerful when they could make someone crying in pain. Showing weakness to these people wouldn't do any good. But a foot in an army boot kicked him again. It was in his leg this time and it stopped whatever he wanted to say to Arata. Kou couldn't stop the pained howl as he held his probably broken knee close.

"I will do anything you say! Just let us go... Please!" Arata cried.

The beatings suddenly stopped. But it didn't make Kou feeling better. Something worse was coming. He didn't know what yet. It was just gut feelings.

"You are such a good boy, Arata, offering your kind assistance so readily like that," Emi complimented his friend in that sick angelic tone. "Indeed, I need your help. It is a very simple task. I need you helping me to bring Akihito here. And as soon as it is done, I will release you and your sister."

"And Kou! Please, Emi-san. We will help you. We will do whatever you want. Just release all of us, please."

Kou didn't care even if these guys, whoever they were, wanted to kick and punch him to death. He shouted as loud as he could.

"And let this bitch hurting Akihito?! You must be crazy, Arata!"

"Kou!"

"She is going to hurt my best friend, Arata!"

"Mariko is going to die! She needs doctor, Kou! Or she will bleed to death. Please. Please. I have to save her." Arata was practically in tears asking for his help.

And damn, Kou wanted to help the man he secretly loved. But not by sacrificing Akihito. And if they gave Akihito to this crazy girl, then what? His instinct told him that these people wouldn't let them go in the end. And his instinct saved Kou numerous times from his brothers' extreme bullying. In fact, it was his instinct _and Akihito_ that saved him in the past. He had lost count already how many times Akihito came to his rescue while Kou could only tremble in fear at his own brothers.

"I won't help you," he affirmed his decision. "I am so sorry, Arata."

Arata made his choice to save his sister. And Kou made his: It was his turn to save his best friend.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. Asami Ryuichi's Whores<strong>

_**13.36 PM, less than an hour before Akihito met Emi**_

Arata sat inside the parked sedan. There were three other people with him. Emi and another man sat at both his sides, preventing him from jumping out of the car and crying for help. A giant sat in the driver seat.

Something nagged his mind when he looked at the man and woman at his sides. Emi looked exactly like Akihito that he couldn't differentiate them in a glance. The man to his left was taller and more muscular than his boyfriend, but that man also had the same light brown hair and hazelnut color eyes as Akihito. If someone told Arata that this man was Akihito's brother or cousin, he would believe it.

_Who were these people? What was their relationship with Akihito?_

They were all waiting outside a tall condominium building located in one of the most exclusive area in Tokyo. Only the rich and famous could have an apartment here. Arata remembered the day he teased Akihito as they passed exactly the same building long time ago. He told his lover that if he worked hard enough, they would also live here one day.

Usually his boyfriend would make supportive comments at his dream about the future. But that day, Akihito's smile fell and his lover looked away while whispering softly, "We have everything that we need already, Arata. I don't ask for a penthouse in one of the most expensive condominium in Tokyo to be happy. Just give me a bit more of your time."

Arata didn't understand what Akihito was saying. He thought that Akihito was angry because he got busier by that time. In his defense, he did it for their future together. But he understood a bit more now after Akihito was gone. At one point in their relationship, Arata had put his work before Akihito. He forgot the last time he took his time to pamper Akihito. Sex became a luxury they couldn't afford. 'I love you' was a sentence that he said in a hurry before he went to work or right before he fell asleep. He couldn't even remember how many dinner appointments and dates that he cancelled for the sake of working for their future.

Tonight, sitting outside the same building where he made a joke with Akihito, knowing that he was going to put the person he loved in danger, Arata felt like he wanted to cry. But what else could he do? He had to save his sister. His family was his priority. Always. Surely, Akihito would understand.

A black limo exited the condo's underground parking entrance. The windows were tinted so Arata couldn't see who was inside the car. But from the way Emi and the man beside him leaned forward, staring at the car with recognition in their faces, Arata knew that they were actually waiting for that limo to leave the building.

"He left already," the man mumbled.

"Well, it is now or never," Emi said cheerfully. "Are you ready, Takumi? Wear your jacket. We need you to look as similar as possible with the boy."

"I know. You don't have to keep repeating it. Just remember your promise," the man called Takumi replied. "You do your part of the deal. And I will do mine."

"I will. Don't worry," Emi confirmed serenely.

Arata tried to follow their conversation but failed. They both stared at him now, one with a sweet smile and another with a pair of bitter eyes.

"Now, now, Arata dear. I want you to go with Takumi and follow his lead. Both of you will distract the guards. They will see Takumi as your boyfriend and they will try to catch you both. You are going to need to run. Run as fast as you can, Arata. Those people won't kill Takumi. He belongs to their boss. They won't dare to touch even his hair. But they will shoot you without second thought. So, run. Don't stop. Don't look back. Get into the car Goro left you at the end of the road. Those guards will go after the two of you and you will lead them to a place far away from here. Your job is simple, isn't it?"

"Sh...shoot?" Arata asked in fear. "Who...who are these people you are talking about? How can you get Akihito by doing this? I...I don't understand."

"Oh, don't worry. I will get Akihito. Your boyfriend lives in that building we were looking at for hours," she pointed the condominium in front of them. "I just need Asami-sama's guards to be away from here for an hour. Even less than that will be enough."

"That condo? Asami-sama's guards? What...Why does Asami-sama have anything to do with this?"

Arata was confused. But Emi and Takumi just looked at him coldly. Arata didn't like the mocking pity he saw in Takumi's eyes. Nor does he like the fake sympathy in Emi's face.

Takumi sneered, "Oh, my. You truly don't know anything, do you? What an ignorant man. I pity your Akihito to have a boyfriend like you. Do you know that Asami Ryuichi has a collection of light brown hair whores? He collects them like another man collects postage stamps. He gives his whores luxurious condo, generous amount of money, expensive clothes...anything they will ever want as long as he can sleep with them."

"Whores? Light brown...hair?"

"And hazelnut eyes," Takumi shrugged. "As far as we know, your Akihito is one of his whores. From the number of guards here, I believe that your boyfriend is actually Asami's favorite. It made me curious. How much did Asami Ryuichi pay for your boyfriend that he keeps this Akihito as if he is guarding a rare and precious jewel from thieves?"

Arata felt his blood turned cold. "Pay...what do you mean...?"

"Asami Ryuichi paid a lot of money for every whore in his collection. Your boyfriend must have a price as well."

"I don't know about Asami Ryuichi. But Akihito is not a person like that!" Arata finally found his voice back. Akihito was not a greedy person. He was sure that Akihito would never become anyone's whore for money.

_"We have everything that we need already, Arata. I don't need a penthouse in one of the most expensive condominium in Tokyo to be happy. Just give me a bit more of your time."_

Emi laughed at his shock. "I dig a bit about you, Takagi Arata. Out of nowhere, a person like Asami Ryuichi asked your pitiful company to handle his business. He even asked you, an inexperienced business consultant, to take care of the project personally. Have you ever wondered why?"

_"What will happen if you give up those projects?" Akihito asked him that day._

_He thought Akihito was pouting because he rarely got time for the two of them lately. Asami-sama's projects were an once-in-a-lifetime chance. Even his boss couldn't believe that Asami Ryuichi would work with their company. It was Arata's opportunity to climb the success ladder. "Oh Aki, I am very sorry to leave you alone for a long time. But we both know I can't lose these projects. It is a big opportunity for the company. Ruining this opportunity is a direct ticket to lose my job. And with my family situation, I can't afford to lose my job," he told Akihito._

_"I can help to support your family. My income from freelancing is doing very well lately," Akihito argued. He remembered thinking how weird it was that Akihito suddenly interfered with his work. His boyfriend was always supportive before._

_He let out a long sigh because he started to feel angry at Akihito's neediness. Why couldn't Akihito be more understanding? "Aki, I can't burden you with my family issue. Besides, your freelancing job is not that stable as well. Please, Aki, I have never complained about your job before. No matter how far you go or how long you leave. I know that it is your dream, your passion. Could I ask you to do the same for me?"_

"Liars! Asami-sama knew my capability! That was why he picked our company to take care of his business!" he screamed at the two persons in front of him.

Takumi's scorning face told Arata that the man was sick of his denial. Arata looked back at the man defiantly, silently daring him to provide proofs.

Emi laughed. "Asami-sama is a man with strong sexual appetite. Don't tell me you have never seen any suspicious mark in your boyfriend's body?"

_"Asami-sama sealed the deal with my company last night. He said he was suddenly convinced that my company and I could improve his business. My boss was so ecstatic when I informed him. I swear he mentioned 'promotion' at least 4 times to me. Now I am leaving to Europe for a few weeks to handle one of Asami-sama's businesses there. I leave a note with my hotel details and phone number that you can contact," he told Akihito excitedly. He still couldn't believe that he managed to reach success this early._

_"A few weeks? But we have dinner with your family this Saturday," Akihito told him, worried. His boyfriend's reaction disappointed him. Akihito didn't look happy. Instead, his boyfriend looked strange. He could see fear in those hazelnut eyes. Arata didn't understand. He was hoping for more enthusiasm. Couldn't Akihito see what a great opportunity this was?_

_"I know," he replied while putting butterfly kisses along his boyfriend's jaw, enjoying the taste of Akihito's skin on his tongue. But Akihito pushed him away. Akihito's eyes looked at anything but him. Arata didn't miss the way his lover's hand moved unconsciously to cover a spot just below Akihito's jaw. He was sure Akihito didn't even realize his own strange behavior. But in his euphoria, Arata dismissed the foreboding feeling he felt, choosing to believe that Akihito reacted oddly because his boyfriend was angry at his sudden business trip. _

Arata gritted his teeth. Even if there were more marks on Akihito, he wouldn't know. He couldn't remember the last time he saw his boyfriend naked.

Akihito grew distant after Arata's first business trip for Asami-sama. Akihito rarely caressed or hugged him anymore. And when he did, Arata noticed a hint of fear in his lover's attitude. They did sex even less because of that. And after a few months trying to coax his boyfriend into the right mood and failing miserably, he just stopped trying. It was not like Arata had time for sex anyway. So, he didn't take it too seriously. Instead, he took it as blessing in disguise. This way, he could spend more time with his work.

_"I heard the same freaky ringtone that you set for Kou and Takato last night during my meeting with Asami-sama. I almost laughed aloud when I heard it because I instantly remembered Kou's story. Lucky, I could stop before I embarrassed myself in front of Asami-sama," he told Akihito cheerfully. Akihito gave him a sad grin that morning. His lover didn't say anything._

That ringtone. Akihito was there. Hidden somewhere in Asami Ryuichi's office.

Memory flooded him and now it all perfectly made sense. All those business trips that he had to do for days, even weeks.

But, Akihito and Asami Ryuichi? When did they get close to each other? How come he didn't notice it?

_"There is nothing to worry, Takagi-san. I have nothing against such a," Asami-sama's gaze lingered on his boyfriend before the powerful man continued, "-inclination. In fact, I can somehow understand it." _

_Asami-sama didn't flirt with his boyfriend, did he? Arata felt a bit uncomfortable with Asami-sama's polite smile. Asami-sama looked at his boyfriend like a raptor looking at its prey. He saw that Akihito's eyes also widened in shock and the boy fidgeted nervously, glancing at Arata with a pair of worried eyes. His boyfriend's face was heated until the skin turned into such a pretty shade of pink, something that he didn't know Akihito could do. Akihito had never blushed that strongly in front of him. _

What else did he not know about Akihito?

Now, he looked at the man and woman in front of him. At their light brown hair and their hazelnut eyes. At their eerie similarities with Akihito. And understanding dawned on him.

"Are you both...," he didn't know how to finish his question without losing his control. Anger coiled in his stomach, pushing its way out of him. He didn't know whom he was angry with. Did he feel angry with Asami Ryuichi who bought his boyfriend's body just because he could? At the world where such thing could happen without anyone cared? At Akihito who let it happened to him? Or at himself who didn't notice how his hunger for success had made him blind of his boyfriend's betrayal?

"Are we both what? Asami Ryuichi's whores?" Takumi snickered, finishing his sentence bitterly. "Yes, we are. Just like your Akihito. Asami Ryuichi bought us like he bought cattle. He examined our body and if he liked it, he paid any price we asked so he could rape us anytime he wanted."

Emi snorted. "Oh please, Takumi. You made Asami-sama looked so evil. I actually enjoy our master's attention."

Takumi snickered at Emi while continuing his explanation, "Obviously, some whores love to be treated like cattle. It was unfortunate for your Akihito to become the favorite. Emi here doesn't like competition."

* * *

><p><strong>Part 3. Anything and Everything<strong>

_**2.04AM, 12 minutes after Akihito met Emi**_

"It is a nice house you have here," the woman said while holding Naoyuki in her arms.

She has taken her time exploring _my_ house and I had to grit his teeth every time she touched _my_ furniture or decorations, making cynical comments here and there. Trying to ignore her, I focus all my thought at the tea that I prepare. Maybe I shouldn't throw Asami's whiskey away. I definitely need something strong to drink now.

"Is this the main bedroom?" She asked from another room but I still could hear her clearly.

The question froze me for a second before I started running to stop her from doing...well, I don't know what she can do. But _our_ bedroom is where most of _our_ private moments happened. I don't like the idea of letting her into it.

"What are you doing barging into _our_ bedroom like that?!" I yelled at her.

I find Emi staring at the photographs hanging on the bedroom wall.

"It is him," she whispered softly.

"Yes, it is," I grumbled.

I took those photos years ago. Asami came home one night, looking unusually tired after a few business deals that didn't go his way. Nothing to worry about, he told me shortly. But he was so cranky that I decided to pamper him; serving his favorite dishes for dinner, preparing a hot tub so he could relax, and massaging his stiff muscles until he fell asleep.

In our early days, Asami didn't sleep with me. We would have sex, then he would take a shower and leave. But at one point, it changed. I realized how much this simple act showed his trust to me. Stroking his silky hair gently, love filled every inch of my body and the idea just popped into my mind.

A few days later, I hanged the photos I took that night on our bedroom wall. Each photo only showed a part of his face, his sexy lips that curved into a subtle smile, his strong jaw that finally relaxed after a lot of pampering, and his closed eyes that made me missed his golden orbs. I expected him to scowl at me because I managed to immortalize Asami Ryuichi's unguarded face. These photos might be the only ones on earth that exposed Asami in his most vulnerable state. To my disappointment, Asami didn't say anything while watching me putting those photographs on our wall.

"He sleeps with you," she brought me back to the present.

I grimaced, "And with you as well, I believe."

She keeps her gaze on the photographs. "No, he doesn't," her voice sounded broken and lost.

"I am sorry?"

I don't understand. We both know Asami slept with her. The baby who is struggling to get away from her arms is the proof of that painful fact. If Nao can't prove enough, another proof is currently sleeping in the children room.

For some unknown reasons, Nao doesn't really like the idea of being with his own mother. He makes those protesting baby noises while wriggling to get away. Emi holds so tightly to keep him still. Looking at her stiff back, I started to worry that she would somehow strangle the child.

_She is the mother, Akihito_, I reminded myself. _She must know what she is doing._

The woman in front of me stayed very still, facing away from me as she explained coldly, "Asami-sama had never slept with me. He took what he wanted and then he left. He didn't stay over. Not even once."

Oh, she meant '_literally_ sleep'.

Well, I don't know what to say. Should I say, 'Oh don't worry. He did that to me as well in the beginning'? I would rather die than acting as if we were two women happily sharing the same man.

"Why?" she asked softly.

I almost laugh. How could I know why Asami decided not to sleep with her? I couldn't even understand what was in Asami's stupid mind. If I could, I wouldn't be so miserable these few days. One minute the man declared his love to me, the next he told me that I needed to take care of this woman's children for the rest of my life.

Asami is a selfish bastard. He does what he wants and he makes damn sure that he gets what he wants. It doesn't matter how much he needs to sacrifice in the process. It is surprising that the woman doesn't understand that side of Asami by now.

"Unfortunately, you need to ask him yourself because I doubt anyone but Asami know why," I replied sourly.

"Liar!" She shouted, making me jump.

Emi finally turned around and I was actually shock to see the fury in her face. I am angry, too. But just like I won't blame her for any of this, I believe she can't blame me too. I didn't even know her existence until a few days ago. If anyone is at fault, it is Asami. How could that bastard put us in this situation?

Her body is shaking uncontrollably in anger, her eyes accusing me for a crime that I am not sure I understand (I couldn't control what Asami did or didn't do!), and unconsciously, she tightens her grip on Nao. The baby starts to cry in discomfort and I fight the surprising urge to forcefully take Nao from her.

"Emi-san, you are hurting Nao," I reminded her, struggling to keep my voice even as Nao's cry got louder. "Let's take a seat and calm ourselves, shall we? We better check on Rikiya as well."

I don't like the sound Nao is making by now. But Emi ignores my request. Her grip is still hurting Nao and I begin to seriously worry. She stands as rigid as a statue. The smile that made her looking like an angel is gone, replaced by a thin line full of hatred. She glares at me with her hazelnut eyes, reminding me of my own eyes in the most bizarre way. For a few seconds, I am thinking how weird it feels to be in a staring contest with someone who looks exactly like me.

"Emi-san, please give Nao to me," I tried again in a soothing tone.

Slowly, raising my hands in a surrender gesture, I take a step forward. I don't want to push her into doing something that may hurt Nao even more. I am stronger than her. But as long as she has Nao, I don't dare to do anything rush. Emi doesn't move. I raise my foot to take another step and she crushes Nao even tighter. I freeze instantly when Nao howls in pain, pushing desperately with his tiny fists to get away from her.

From the children room, Rikiya started to cry as well. Hearing his brother's cry must have made him scared. Panic grows in me and I am thinking of calling Kirishima or Suoh or even Asami for help. I don't care about my pride anymore. There is a phone in the bathroom. I can tell her that I need to pee or something while calling one of them discreetly. I glance towards the bathroom door, calculating my chance to do that without putting Nao in harm.

But Emi's next move makes me reconsidering my plan.

"Shut up," she told Nao, slapping his cheek roughly. Her voice was icy and flat.

_Fuck you, Asami. What kind of a woman did you sleep with? Couldn't you choose someone more normal? Why does everything about you have to be full of madness?_

There is no way I am going to leave Nao alone with this crazy bitch. Silently, I am praying that Nao will somehow calm down. I don't want him pushing her to do anything more dangerous. But Nao starts to scream at the top of his lungs.

_Oh no, no, Nao dear. Please. Don't do that. Not now. Calm down, baby. Come on. I beg you._

The noise clearly annoys Emi. She covers Nao's mouth and nose with her hand. The room suddenly becomes way too quiet for me. In horror, I watch Nao struggling to take his next breath behind her palm.

"Emi-san, please," I begged her. "Let him go. I...I can understand that you are angry. But-"

She doesn't move.

"Listen, if you want to hurt someone, do it to me. Nao is just a baby. Please. Let him go. I will do anything you want," I quickly tried another way to approach her.

She tilted her head while listening to me. I hold my breath, hoping that I managed to persuade her to release _my _baby. Then slowly, way too slow in my opinion, she removes her hand from Nao's face. I release a relief breath the moment Nao's cry echoing in the entire penthouse.

"Thank you, Emi-san," I plastered a forced smile in my face. "Now, let's get Nao into bed. After that, I will listen to whatever you want to say. Okay?"

I decided to just follow what she wants for now. As long as Nao is safe, I can always run away from her later.

"No." Her answer was instant and short.

"You promised-"

"I didn't promise you anything," she said placidly. "We are not bargaining here, Akihito. You are going to go with me. Voluntary. I am taking Nao with me and if you want to keep him alive, you better do what I told you to do. Now, you are going to write Asami-sama a letter. Tell him that you decided to leave with Takagi Arata. You will also tell him that you are bringing Nao with you. Rikiya is the first born, anyway. One heir should be enough for Asami-sama, don't you think? I don't care about Nao. If Asami-sama wants, I can give him more sons or daughters after you are gone. "

"Asami won't believe such story," I tried to argue with her.

"Then you better write it in such a way that he will believe it," she replied calmly while playing with Nao's right arm. Staring at me straight in the eyes, she slowly moves that little arm into the wrong angle.

"Emi-san, you...you are his mother. I am sure you won't hurt him," my voice was stuttering in panic. I wanted to believe my own statement. But my instinct told me that she didn't give me an empty threat.

My heart races so fast in my chest and sweats stream down on my back. Putting myself in danger is something that I am accustomed to. But putting a child -Asami's child, _my _child- in danger is something completely different. I can feel my hands shaking in fear. I tighten them into fists to stop the tremor. It doesn't work. But the pain I feel from my nails digging into the tender skin in my palm keeps me focused. Right now, I need to stay calm for Nao.

"Oh, I won't hurt him?" She asked with a small smile, smelling my fear like a predator smelling blood.

Right in front of my terrified eyes, she pushed Nao's arm further. The scream Nao made as she tried to break his own son's arm is something that I will never forget in my life. The only thing that beats Nao's loud shrieking is my own scream, crying and begging and promising her anything she wants if only she will stop. Even if anything means giving up my everything.


	14. Chapter 14 The Only One

**Hi,**

**I am truly sorry for the slow update. My work is very busy nowadays so my day is a bit of chaos. I tried to write this story in between everything, but I couldn't do it as fast as I wanted. However, I won't stop this story until it ends. So, for those who asked me, please rest assured that I am not abandoning the story. :)**

**Anyway, here is chapter 14. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: VF belongs to YA.**

**Warning: Grammatical issue. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 14. The Only One<strong>

**Part 1. "Farewell, Ryu"**

Kirishima can't believe it. Running away from home once in a while is still acceptable. But twice in less than a year? Has the brat gone crazy? Does he think that Kirishima doesn't have anything better to do than chasing him all over the world? Fuming with silent anger, Kirishima stands so still near the coffee table, staring at that stupid letter the brat had left behind as if the harmless paper is a snake that will bite anytime.

Asami-sama has remained silent ever since they arrived at the penthouse a few hours after the incident. His boss was on his way to Singapore, having a meeting to discuss some promising business ventures. Then, Kirishima received the call informing the run away. For sure, everything was cancelled immediately.

"Asami-sama, the men who guards Tao confirmed that the boy was in the hospital last night. The CCTV proved it," Suoh reported evenly from the entrance.

"He didn't need to do it himself, Suoh! Tao could order someone else to help Takaba-sama to escape," Kirishima scowled as he turned around to face his colleague.

"_Help_ Takaba-sama _to escape_?" Suoh asked coolly. "Why did Takaba-sama need to escape from his own house?"

"You know what I meant, Suoh! There is no way Takaba-sama could walk away with no one seeing anything! It was a very well organized escape plan. The condo CCTVs were down. And suddenly the men downstairs saw Takaba-sama with Takagi running out of the building! They were our best men. It was impossible Takaba-sama could go pass them undetected. Who else could plan such an escape other than Fei Long's brat?"

His friend just shrugs. "Well, apparently, Takaba-sama somehow did it without Tao's help. The boy can barely move, Kirishima. His father doesn't leave his side at all. I doubt Fei Long would let Tao do anything stupid so soon."

Suoh paused, staring at Kirishima squarely in the eyes yet addressing Asami-sama to continue his report. "Our men found that some of the buildings nearby have their own CCTVs, Asami-sama. We checked. But their CCTVs didn't get a good shot of Takaba-sama. Takaba-sama wore a hoodie and there were too many obstacles hiding him from the cameras. But it captured Takagi Arata perfectly. The guards said that they saw Takaba-sama downstairs around 2AM, recognized him by his hair color. One of them yelled at him and Takaba-sama quickly put up his hoodie and run with Takagi. There was a car waiting for them down the road. Our men lost sight of the two of them after that. We found the car 10km from here. It was abandoned. I told the men to sweep the surrounding area."

Somehow, Suoh's calmness grated Kirishima's patience. It is also frustrating that Asami-sama doesn't say anything. His boss merely stands in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing quietly at the Tokyo skyline. Kirishima feels like screaming at the top his lungs. It has been hours already. They must do something before it is too late!

"We should send a few men to the airport and stations, Asami-sama. Block his way out before he can get far. Someone must have seen him. We can questioned them," he suggested impatiently.

There is no answer for a long time.

But when Kirishima started to feel hopeless, the order came, "Read it again, Kirishima."

Closing his eyes in annoyance, Kirishima almost refused. He wanted to shout, '_It is useless to keep re-reading that stupid farewell letter no matter how many times_!' But Kirishima will never disobey Asami-sama. So, he takes the crumpled paper from the table and begins reading.

"_Ryu, I had thought about this so many times. And always, I came to the same conclusion._

_You know what? The key to your happiness might be closer than you thought. You might think it was me. You wanted it to be me. But it wasn't me. It had never been me. _

_I am so very sorry. I hope there is another way for us. But there isn't. So, this is it. Farewell, Ryu. This time, I truly want you to find your true happiness. Please, Ryu, I beg you. And hopefully, I will find mine with Nao."_

It is longer than the previous letter the brat left behind. But it doesn't make it any better. Kirishima wants to strangle the damn brat. What is this about happiness and all that bullshit? Why can't the brat stop seeing himself as Asami-sama's burden and realizing that he has a special place in Asami-sama's heart and life? True, the brat always means troubles. But usually there will be much more _troubles _if Takaba-sama is not around.

When Asami-sama stayed as silent as the grave, Kirishima gathered his courage to push his boss, "Asami-sama, we are awaiting your further commands."

Nothing. Asami-sama doesn't move even a bit. Moreover, talk.

Carefully, he tried again, "Asami-sama, if we start searching for Takaba-sama now, we may-"

"No, Kirishima."

"Excuse me, Sir?"

Finally, Asami-sama turns around to face him. But those golden orbs are distant. That handsome face is...empty. After decades working for the powerful man, Kirishima recognizes his boss' many expressions very well. And this unfamiliar emptiness turns his blood cold. For the first time since Kirishima met Asami Ryuichi, the powerful man looks worn out and tired. Kirishima doesn't get scared easily. But this unexpected side of Asami-sama frightens him even more than the violent Asami-sama in a way that he can't explalin.

"I said, no, Kirishima. We are not going to the airport or whatever it is to search for Akihito. Get the car. I am going out."

The flat voice was even more frightening and the strong refusal made Kirishima flinch. Why doesn't Asami-sama search for Akihito? Asami-sama doesn't give up on his lover, does he?

_No, Kei. Calm down. Think about it! Asami-sama has never given up on anything he wants. That is just the way Asami-sama is._ Kirishima tried desperately to convince himself. _Of course, unless..._

He shook his head to stop the train of thought. Now is not the time to be a pessimist. Instead, he bows low to show his complete obedience. "Of course, Asami-sama," he replied. Then, steeling himself, he asked, "May I know where do you want to go so I can tell the driver?"

Kirishima's stomach is churning as he waited anxiously for the answer. Damn, he isn't sure what he does or doesn't want to hear. When the reply finally came, Kirishima had to face his biggest worry.

"To Emi. Or Takumi. Whoever is nearest, Kirishima. I don't care which."

_...unless Asami-sama doesn't want the brat anymore._

Kirishima couldn't stop his brain from completing his previous thought now. He feels numb. After all those years chasing the brat, to know that he doesn't have to do that anymore, it just doesn't feel right. Surely, there is something they can do. They found the brat before. They can do it again.

Glancing at Suoh who stands quietly beside him, Kirishima can see that his friend also feels the same way. But what else can they say to change their master's mind? Kirishima doesn't know anymore. What Asami-sama says, he obeys. What Asami-sama wants, he provides. That is the rule. Simple and clear. If his boss wants to forget the boy by fucking those whores for the rest of Asami-sama's lives, so be it. Kirishima will never question Asami-sama's decision.

Swallowing his own sadness, Kirishima slowly nods.

"The nearest one is Emi, Asami-sama. I will tell the driver to come with the limo shortly."

* * *

><p>Emi knew that Asami-sama is inside the moment she saw Kirishima and Suoh standing outside her penthouse's door.<p>

"Good morning, Kirishima, Suoh," she greeted the two men cheerfully.

Kirishima doesn't look good. There is dark shadow under his eyes and he looks pale. She can't blame the man. It was a hell of a night for them all. Despite having a few hours sleep, she also still feels very tired.

_But now that everything was settled, thankfully, I can take my time with Asami-sama. _

She took a deep relief breath. Before sunset today, the boy will be shipped to a place far away, becoming a sex slave for a fat greedy politician in some third world country. Knowing that old man's kinky preference, Akihito will surely be dead before the end of the week. It is just a few more hours until she becomes Asami-sama's only partner.

_Patience, Emi. _

"Where were you? You didn't bring your phone and Goro's phone is off as well," Kirishima asked with a frown in his face.

She happily showed her grocery bags in her arms. "Shopping for food."

"Where is Goro?" Suoh asked.

"He is doing a small errand for me. Do you need him?"

Kirishima growled in irritation. "No. Just go inside. Asami-sama has been waiting for you for hours."

She can't stop the smile in her face. Finally. She has worked so hard to get this chance with Asami-sama.

Mimicking Akihito perfectly, she replied, "Easy, Kirishima. There is no need to rush. Surely the bastard can wait a few more minutes until I put everything into the fridge."

Without waiting for their reaction, she walks inside, leaving Kirishima and Suoh to see Asami-sama. She can imagine what Asami-sama wants, waiting for her like this, and her heart feels like bursting in happiness. Her body is practically thrumming from the anticipation.

_I did it! _

Taking a deep calming breath, she tries to control her excitement. First, put the food into the fridge. Then, comfort Asami-sama with good hard sex. Then, she will cook for her man and they can enjoy a quiet dinner together. By that time, Akihito will be out of Asami-sama's reach already.

God, her life is just so perfect.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. "You Even Smell Alike..."<strong>

_"So, what do I have to write?" Akihito asked angrily, yet trying hard to keep his tone civil. He was holding a pen in his right hand, ready to write whatever she wanted._

_Emi smiled sweetly at him while caressing Nao absentmindedly. "Well, basically you just need to tell him that you want to leave. Give whatever reason that he will believe."_

_He stared at her with disgust in his hazelnut eyes. "You know that in the end you will never get his heart, don't you?"_

_Snorted, she replied dryly, "Why not? Once you are gone, there is no reason for him not to give his heart to me. I am your exact replica."_

_"If he gives his heart to anyone simply because they look like me, Ryu is more stupid than I thought. Then I will thank all the Gods because it will be you who will end up with such a shallow man."_

_Knowing that her rival can't do much in his situation right now, she was feeling generous. So instead of getting angry, she merely waved her hand towards the paper in front of Akihito and dismissed the boy's insult. "Don't worry, Akihito dear. Asami-sama will no longer be your concern. Now, chop, chop. Write the letter. I want to go home. And you will need time to prepare yourself for your new home and master."_

_Akihito's lips tightened into a thin line. His hand fisted in anger. But he didn't say anything as he looked at Emi circling his fingers around Nao's neck. Quietly, Akihito started to write._

_"Oh, give him a hint that there is someone closer who loves him more than anything in this world, will you? You know, people often overlook such things. They long for someone out of their reach, not realizing that they already have someone in their life who loves them dearly."_

_Akihito narrowed his eyes in hatred. No doubt, he was thinking that she was mad beyond reason. She just shrugged. "What? No one loves him more than I do. I killed dozens for him. And I will happily do it again. What have you done to keep him? You just give him troubles. So, you see. I look just like you, behave just like you, talk just like you, but I don't give him trouble. Asami-sama just hasn't realized it yet. So tell him that . I am much better than you."_

_Emi saw a glint in Akihito's eyes. Was that tears? Satisfied, she continued, "And don't you ever dare to cheat. I will read your letter before we leave."_

Her bedroom is dark when she enters. The curtain is drawn, preventing sunlight from brightening up the luxurious room. She can only see the silhouette of Asami-sama, sitting in a corner sofa as the man quietly flips through the printed photos she took a few nights ago. Her camera was on the small table beside the powerful man. No doubt, Asami-sama has spent the last few hours taking a look at every picture. Well, she doesn't mind. There is nothing she has to hide from her master here in her apartment.

"Kirishima told me that you like to take photos recently," her master said without looking at her.

"It is called photography, you know," she pretended to scowl at her master.

Her master stilled upon hearing her reply. She knows she has his full attention now. Her tone and attitude was an impeccable replica of Akihito's and Asami-sama must have noticed it as well. It helped that Akihito _willingly_ gave more useful hints to perfect her acting last night, especially after a few more threats towards the baby boy.

Slowly putting the photos down, Asami-sama looks up and stares at her, long and hard. Other people will shrink in fear, but not Emi. She stands in front of her master defiantly, daring the crime lord to send her away.

After a long silence, her master closes his eyes and rests his head on top of the single chair. Asami-sama looked tired when he ordered, "Come here."

The command was expected, but it still made her smile in joy. Oh, how she wants to do a victory dance. But it will ruin everything. So instead, she walks leisurely towards her master.

_Her husband_, she corrected herself silently. _Soon._

She stops right in front of the man, waiting patiently for Asami-sama to allow her to touch. From Akihito's description last night, it seems the boy doesn't need any permission before putting his hand on Asami-sama's skin. But Asami-sama doesn't like any of his whores to do so. And the last thing she wants now is giving Asami-sama a reason to eliminate her. Not now when she has survived to be _the only one_.

Grabbing her lean waist, Asami-sama suddenly pulls her down. She squeals in surprise, but happily complies to sit on the man's lap. This is the first time they have done this and the excitement coming from receiving her master's undivided attention thrills her until she trembles in happiness.

Roughly, Asami-sama burrows his face in the small space between her neck and shoulder, nuzzling. Tilting her head to give Asami-sama more access, she runs her hand across that broad toned chest, enjoying the hardness of the trained muscle under her palms. Oh, this is heaven. When her master starts sucking her skin hard, she can't stop the moans.

Asami-sama's voice was low and husky when he murmured near her ear, "God, you even smell alike..."

Emi didn't need to ask to know what he meant by that statement. She immediately understood. This morning, she changed her bath soap, her shampoo and her perfume to the same brand that Akihito uses. Damn, she even went as far as replacing the damn detergent! It won't be obvious yet. But in another month or so, all her clothes and the entire penthouse will smell like Akihito's.

She remembers the hatred in Akihito's hazelnut eyes as the boy grudgingly told her everything about his daily habit with Asami-sama. Akihito didn't have much choice anyway. It was either telling her every little detail that she wanted or watching the baby die slowly and painfully.

When she insisted for him to tell even the sexual part of their relationship, Akihito almost fought back in anger. Almost. However, one poke on Nao's temple was enough to make Akihito more cooperative. Without doubt, it was humiliating for the boy to describe every part of his sexual relationship with Asami-sama. Goro was aroused from the boy's vivid narration and Akihito face grew redder whenever the young guard groaned.

Tears stained Akihito's cheeks when he finally begged Emi to allow him to stop. She just chuckled at his embarrassment while giving Goro permission to jerk off right in front of Akihito. Her laughter grew even louder when Goro came, shooting his cum all over Akihito's face and chest. The boy could only close his eyes in shame.

Now that she recalls that memory with fondness, it turns her on even more. With a slow smile, she starts rolling her hips sensually against Asami-sama's cock before leaning down to kiss the man. To her surprise, the crime lord stays completely still and unimpressed. No bulging arousal. No kissing back. No movement whatsoever. The cold reaction froze her and she quickly pulled away.

Unfortunately for her, Asami-sama holds her waist tightly, preventing her from moving away. His grip is so strong until it hurts.

"You look like him, talk like him, act like him..." the man said calmly. "...but you are not him."

The comment was short, yet it alarmed her instantly.

She tilted her head innocently in an attempt to cover her nervousness. "Who are you talking about, Asami?" She knew her voice was slightly stuttered, but she couldn't help it.

The handsome face in front of her turned stony. She could feel those strong muscles tensed around her, the man oozing the aura of a beast in cold fury, and it is totally frightening. This man can kill her with a single blow and he doesn't have any moral issue to do so. Never before she realized the real danger hidden inside Asami Ryuichi until now. And the knowledge scares the fuck out of her.

Knowing that something is wrong, she is struggling to get away from Asami-sama's embrace. But the crime lord is so damn strong and nothing she can do to release herself.

"Asami, stop it. Let me go! You are hurting-"

Without even blinking, the man backhanded her across her face, stopping whatever it was she wanted to say. Her small body was thrown and she falls hard on her stomach. Painfully, she crawls to Asami-sama's feet while clutching her cheek in disbelief. The metallic tang of blood fills her mouth and her head feels dizzy from the unexpected impact. What is going on? What did she do wrong? Did Asami-sama find out what she did to Akihito?

But if she is hoping for some explanation, she won't get any. Asami-sama takes his phone out of his pocket, pressing his speed dial to call Kirishima.

When Kirishima finally came into the bedroom with confusion in his face, Asami-sama commanded icily, "Bring her out. I will question her later."

Emi can see that Kirishima is as perplexed as her. But his complete obedience is obvious when he immediately grabs her by her arm without asking further questions. Unable to understand what has raised Asami-sama's brutal treatment, fear takes her calmness away. She screams and kicks and fights Kirishima's hold over her, but it is a futile effort. The only thing she can still remember is that admitting her crime will be a direct ticket to her grave. It will be better to stay silent.

_Yes, deny it. Don't say anything. They don't have any proof. In another few hours, Akihito will be far far away. And no one can help Akihito as long as I stay silent._

She focused on those thoughts as Kirishima dragged her outside violently. Closing her eyes, Emi resigns herself to her fate. It doesn't matter anymore how Asami-sama knows. Or perhaps, Asami-sama doesn't know. Maybe the man just wants to remove her from his collection. Whatever the reason is, Asami-sama's betrayal hurts more than anything in her life.

_If I couldn't get Asami-sama, no one else could._

When Kirishima pushes her forcefully to Suoh, telling the giant to bring her to one of Asami-sama's empty warehouse, she just smiles charmingly at the bodyguard.

_A few more hours, Emi. A few more hours and Akihito won't be traceable. Just bear with it for a few more hours. A few more hours._

Like a mantra, she chanted it wordlessly, taking comfort in the fact that soon, Akihito will be out of Asami-sama's reach. Soon, her rival will be in a place worse than where she will be in.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 3. '<strong>_**See You In Hell, Akihito'**_

Kirishima efficiently passes the glass of vodka to Asami-sama. He wishes he could also take a bit of liquor tonight to drown the madness of the past two days, but his logic strongly tells him not to. He can't take heavy liquor well without getting completely drunk in a few minutes, even after all these years with Asami-sama.

_God, I don't even understand what is going on anymore. _

Kirishima and a few men Suoh appointed had spent half an hour searching all over the entire penthouse, digging every drawer and looking at every corner. Emi's beautiful apartment is now in chaos. And still, they can't find anything. There is nothing to prove that Emi is related in any way with Akihito's disappearance. Nothing other than Asami-sama's gut feeling.

Observing his boss sipping the vodka, Kirishima must say that he can't comprehend what Asami-sama has in mind. Asami-sama didn't give further explanation other than asking him to bring Emi away for now and to search for any trace of Akihito in Emi's penthouse. They also tried to find Goro and Takumi, but the young guard is still unreachable and Takumi is nowhere to be found. Kirishima is completely clueless and he doesn't like it.

"Asami-sama, may I ask a question?"

Long silence. Then, "Go ahead."

"Are we still searching for Takaba-sama, then?"

There is no reply for a long minute. When Kirishima was about to open his mouth to repeat his question, the answer came, "I don't know."

Asami-sama's voice sounded tired, as if the man was struggling to give up while at the same time, holding onto the slightest hope that the brat didn't leave him.

"I am sorry but I don't understand, Sir," Kirishima finally admitted.

His boss emitted a long weary sigh. "He wrote that he wanted me to find my true happiness. He begged me, Kirishima."

Kirishima remembers the farewell note until its exact letters. He read it for Asami-sama so many times last night that he couldn't forget it even if he wanted to.

_'This time, I truly want you to find your true happiness. Please, Ryu, I beg you. And hopefully, I will find mine with Nao.'_

Still, Kirishima doesn't understand.

Clearing his throat to hide his embarrassment for failing to grasp the whole situation, he said, "Indeed, Takaba-sama did, Sir. Just like in his previous letter the last time he'd run away."

"No, it is different this time, Kirishima,"

Worn out, Asami-sama closes his eyes, leaning back into the chair. "Forget it. Maybe I was thinking way too much about his choice of sentences."

"Asami-sama, please. I am just trying to understand. If there is any possibility for us to find him, I will do anything in my power to do so. You must have your reason. But I really don't understand. Why do you think Emi has anything to do with Takaba-sama's disappearance?"

Hiding his uncertainty behind his closed eyes, Asami-sama quietly explained, "I told him that he was my happiness, Kirishima. My only happiness. I told him...everything about my feelings. Well, almost everything. I proposed and he said yes. He said he isn't going to run away anymore. He..."

Asami-sama shook his head as if to clear his own thought. Kirishima was at a lost of words. For a while, he just stands there looking at his boss dumfounded. This revelation changed everything.

"I know it seems stupid and illogical. I was confident he won't run away from our relationship anymore. But he was so angry with me about the kids. So maybe -"

Obviously, his boss believes that Kirishima was thinking how foolish Asami-sama's desperate hope is.

"No, no, Sir," Kirishima cut off quickly. "I am just surprised. I didn't know that you had proposed. So, the two of you were...engaged. Well, maybe now is not the best time, but congratulation!"

The chuckle was still tired but sounded more genuine now. "Indeed, this is not the best time. I was planning to tell everyone in a more glamorous event than sitting here in the middle of this mess."

"But putting this fact into consideration, then it doesn't make sense to think that Takaba-sama is running away, does it? I meant, he was angry, true. But he told me-," Kirishima stopped, considering whether it was wise to impart what the brat had told him in secret. Well, this is an emergency situation, anyway. Surely the brat will understand. "He told me he would forgive you. It was just a few hours before he run away. Now that I know about your engagement, I don't think Takaba-sama will run away just like that, Asami-sama."

His boss snorted. "Well, he did it once. He could have done it again for all we know. There is no proof saying that he doesn't run away."

"Please allow me to remind you that you hadn't proposed him and he hadn't agreed to marry you the last time he left."

"He had also told me that he loved me before he tricked me with that stupid project in Osaka. That he would have done anything for my happiness. And still, he'd left," Asami-sama grumbled with bitterness.

Kirishima just shrugged at his boss' stubbornness. "In my humble opinion, there is a huge difference between 'admitting love' and 'admitting love and knowing that the person you love not only loves you back but also wants to spend the rest of his life with you', Asami-sama. That is a very serious promise." He made invisible quotes with his fingers. "And as far as I know, Takaba-sama is an honest and kind person. When he left you before, he still broke his relationship with Takagi off. He didn't have to do that. He could have left you and still be with Takagi. But he didn't. He couldn't be with Takagi halfheartedly. And now you believe that he would run away with Takagi after he said yes to your proposal? Please forgive my rudeness, Sir, but that is the most stupid thing I have ever heard from you. Doing that is just plain cruel, not only to you but also to Takagi, and I don't think Takaba-sama could do such a mean thing just to spite you."

Asami-sama didn't say anything, so Kirishima continued softly, "You think he was discreetly asking you to find him when he told you to find your happiness, don't you? Because you believe he knows now that he is your happiness."

There is nothing of his usual firmness when Asami-sama nods wearily. Kirishima understands now. His boss is unsure. There is no guarantee that the brat wasn't running away and Asami-sama doesn't want to get his hope high without any proof. If the brat was indeed running away and if people somehow find out that Asami-sama, blinded by love, denies that obvious truth, they will mock him to the end of the world. The entire organization will be a laughing stock and Asami-sama doesn't want it.

"I believe...I believe that he was forced to leave, Kirishima. He said that the key to my happiness was closer than I thought. That I might think that it was him, but it was not."

Understanding dawned on Kirishima. "So you think that the key to find Takaba-sama is Emi. Or Takumi. Someone that is close to you, someone who looks similar to him that you might think it is him. But this person is not him."

Strangely, it makes sense to Kirishima. In fact, this is the first real clue he heard since his men called him informing the run away. He noticed the changes in Emi, how she became more and more similar to the brat until it is frightening him. Kirishima remembers the times when he couldn't differentiate the two of them in a glance.

"Call it a stupid hunch, Kirishima. But I want to give it a try. Because I don't have any other clue where he is right now. If I still can't find him, so be it. Maybe we are not meant to each other." Asami-sama drank the rest of the vodka in one swallow before putting the empty glass on the side table. "Now, shall we go? We can't find Takumi yet. But we can start from Emi."

This is crazy. The possibility is almost nonexistent. But Kirishima feels hope when before he thought everything was useless. With a newly awakened spirit, he nodded, "I will call the car now. Please rest assured, Asami-sama. We will do everything we can to find Takumi. For now, we have Emi in one of our empty warehouse, ready for questioning. I will do it myself, if you allow me."

_Hold on, brat, wherever you are. We are coming for you. And you better stay alive until then. Because no one can replace you. Not in my life or the life of any other persons who are close to you. And definitely, in Asami-sama's life. You are the only one._

* * *

><p><em>Less than two more hours to go. <em>

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Emi is starting to count down her life. She knows she was out of luck the moment Asami-sama ordered her to be brought here. Somehow, her master found out that she was involved with Akihito's disappearance. She doesn't know how, but she is not stupid enough to miss the hints. There is no need for all the troubles of keeping her here if Asami-sama just wants to replace her with another light brown hair boy or girl.

But, it is okay. She won't go to the land of the dead alone today.

Suoh enters the spacious room, ordering men to move a long table to her side. Quickly, the men place various torturing instruments on the table. Obviously, they are trying to shake her mentally.

She just smiles at every one of them.

_Bear with it, girl. Just another hour and thirty three minutes. Hold the truth until then and there will be nothing they can do by that time._

Two men tighten the rope that binds her until it is difficult for her to even take a breath.

"Thank you," she told the men nicely despite her difficulties to get air into her lungs. They look at her as if she is mad. But she doesn't care. If she has to do this, she will do it with grace. Smiling, she closes her eyes and waits patiently for her fate.

_See you in hell, Akihito. Soon._


	15. Chapter 15 His Biggest Regret

**Guilty as charged. No excuses there. ****I ****am truly sorry for not updating the story for so long. _ But until September, there is nothing much I can do about it. Rushing two projects has drained all my energy everyday. So, I am very very thankful for your patience. **

**My special thanks for serenyty82 and finderlov. Your messages have stopped me from postponing to upload this chapter even longer. I should have been working today, but instead I found myself writing like crazy. Sorry I read your message a bit late. :)**

**And my thanks also go to everyone who has reviewed and followed and faved. You made me smile. :)**

**And I hope this chapter will make you smile too! (or maybe not. but hopefully the next one will. *wink)**

**Anyway, have a good day wherever you are.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15. His Biggest Regret<strong>

**Part 1. Beyond The Visible**

_It had been only a few weeks after I had moved in to Arata's apartment. That night, my boyfriend was waiting for me when I got back from an unsuccessful attempt to find a clue about a certain Diet member's side -and very likely, illegal- business. Arata shoved a crumpled paper to me as if it was a tarantula that would bite him with its poisonous venom._

_A warning was written on that paper, not a very friendly one: "Tell your son's cute boyfriend: STOP digging while he can or his loved ones will pay the price." _

_The single sentence was screaming at me silently. Each letter was cut from magazines and newspapers, forming a colorful death threat that I was currently looking at. Threat like this was nothing new for me. Working as an investigative journalist and photographer for criminal section meant that I made a lot of enemies. And most of them had more than enough power to eliminate me with just a flick of their fingers. Of course, none of them had succeeded so far. Part of it was thanks to me being more and more careful; knowing that Asami was no longer watching my back after I'd left him changed me in more ways that I expected. But a huge part of it was because of the few radical articles and photos that I published recently, ones that successfully sent some corrupted elites and businessmen into jail. _

_Again, a part of my stubborn consciousness tried to ignore the obvious fact that those corrupted elites and businessmen were 'accidently' Asami's enemies. It wasn't like I picked my target or blackmailed them to do anything bad. I just avoided anything that was related to Asami. I was not ready to bring Asami down yet, not with my heart throbbing painfully every time I saw him in my viewfinder, longing for those arms to hold me together...Wait, scratch that. I couldn't possibly say that, could I? I was the one who left him. I didn't miss him whatsoever. I couldn't. Anyway, avoiding Asami meant that I needed to go to the opposite direction from Asami to find my target: to his enemies. Okay, I knew it was a sort of picking target and I was being a hypocrite and so on and so on. But that was beside the point here._

_The point was: I was no longer that anonymous-photographer-who-nobody-knows-about; someone who could be killed and then being thrown away to Tokyo bay without anyone cared. I was Takaba Akihito, the fierce criminal investigative photographer who was respected by both national and international media and investigative organizations. It would be harder for my enemies to hurt me without raising suspicion. Surely they were not that stupid._

_So, I was on my way to throw that stupid letter to the trash bin when Arata's serious face stopped me in my track._

_"What?" I asked, confused. "Don't tell me you are taking this kind of letter seriously, Arata?"_

_My boyfriend's face frowned unpleasantly. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Arata stared down at me as if I was suddenly talking in an alien language. He was taller by a few inches, and usually our height difference would give me a feeling of safety. But I hated it when he looked down while he was chastising me like I was a kid who didn't know his own limit._

_"Akihito, this letter was sent to my parent's house!" He practically screamed at me. "Can you imagine how freak out they were when they called me this afternoon?!"_

_I swallowed. Well, truthfully, I forgot that normal people would have such reaction. My own parents had received this kind of letter quite regularly. But my father had been an investigative journalist himself when he was younger so my parents were more or less used to this by now. They understood the importance of what I was doing, fighting a fight for a better world with my photos and articles. In fact, they had been so accepting since the beginning of my career. Which was why I often forgot that other people might not react as calm and supportive as my parents had been._

And definitely not as dismissive as Asami had been_, I added silently, remembering a few threat letters that somehow had managed to find its way to Asami's penthouse and had been thrown away directly to the trash bin without a second glance by Kirishima. _

_"Arata, trust me, it is not as bad as it seems-"_

_My boyfriend had cut me short, "Not as bad as it seems? Are you crazy, Akihito? Don't you care about my parents at all? Do you forget now that they are stressed out already by Mariko's debt? Do you forget about those debt collectors wanting to sell my nephew and nieces to get money from us? They don't need this additional burden! Hell, do you even care about anything other than your job, Akihito? Or do you just want to live in your own world without caring about how your job will hurt the people around you?!"_

_I opened my mouth to snap back but I couldn't find a word. The accusation stung more than I thought it would be. But what struck me the most was the fact that Arata asked a similar question with my own question to Asami right before our separation. I had screamed at Asami about exactly the same issue, had he cared that his way of life hurt me? Asami's face had paled, a sight that I had never seen before. The next day, he had agreed to let me go._

_Was this what Asami had felt every time I had asked him to live a normal life? Did Asami also feel a kind of complete frustration because he didn't know how to make the person he cared about understood that this world was already a part of who he was? _

_"Please, Akihito," my boyfriend begged me with real concern in his eyes, taking my hands into his own and squeezing it carefully. "I am sure there are many other _normal_ photography projects that don't involve this kind of danger. Why don't you try it? For me? For us?"_

_Normal. That was the magic word that stopped me from shouting and yelling and screaming all my frustration at him. Being normal was what I had ever wanted, wasn't it? So when the opportunity was presented right in front of my eyes, why did I feel like vomiting at the very idea of being normal?_

No, it was the idea of being no one that scared me_, I thought grimly. _Who will I be without criminal photography?

_Once again, that question brought my mind back to the one and only crime lord that I knew of. Had Asami also considered leaving his own violent and dangerous world every time I'd said that I wanted a normal life? Did he also have the same questions in his mind each time? Questions about who he would be without doing what he was 'passionate' in, even if it was a wicked passion? _

_But then Arata pulled me into his embrace, holding me tightly while hiding his face in the small space between my neck and shoulder. I could feel dampness there and I realized that Arata was crying. Instantly, my fury faded into guilt and instead of pushing him away as I intended to do, I hugged him back._

_"Please, Akihito. Try it for us. Otherwise, I don't think we can keep this relationship. I definitely can't live like this. I love you. Really. It hurts me thinking that I may lose you for asking this from you. But this is not normal," he said quietly, sobbing and trembling slightly against my skin. "You can get hurt. Oh dear, you can get hurt. And I can't just watch you get hurt."_

_What else could I say? Wouldn't it mean that I was a hypocrite if I refused to do exactly the same thing I had asked from Asami long time ago?_

_Sighing my defeat, I nodded weakly. "Okay," I answered in a voice that sounded unsure even to my own ears. I took a deep breath and repeated in a much steady tone, "Okay. Shhh. Calm down now. Everything will be all right, Arata. I promise. I will quit working as a criminal photographer if that is what you want."_

_He looked up at me in disbelief. My poor boyfriend had believed that I wouldn't do that. That he doesn't worth more in my life than my job. That tonight, our relationship would be over as soon as it had begun. And it pained me that I made him feeling that way._

Had it pained Asami, too, to see me begging for him to give up his illegal businesses, knowing that he couldn't do that without losing who he was?

_I caressed Arata's cheek lovingly, soothing him with an easy smile that I didn't feel in my heart. Truthfully, I couldn't imagine a life without criminal photography in it. I felt like a patient who were just told that the doctor had no other choice but to amputate both his arms and legs. My hundreds of emotions were spiraling wild by now and I didn't know which was more horrible, giving up my life for Arata or knowing that I did it with a sort of resentment in my heart. But I had to try this. For him. _

Wait, no. For us._ I corrected myself._

_"Tomorrow, I will let my editor know. Then, it will be just you and me." I forced the word out of my mouth. _

_And for a long while, we stayed just like that, holding each other tightly while murmuring soft promises of our future together. Our _normal_ future together._

* * *

><p>Cradling the unconscious Mariko in his arms, Arata stares at nothing in particular. He had screamed for hours, pleading mercy until his voice became rasp and hoarse. But no one came into the dampened and dark storage. Now, his sister is burning with high fever, murmuring nonsense about her children, their parents, and all the good memories from their childhood when life was simple and evil was nothing but a part of children stories. And Arata doesn't know what to do.<p>

He had believed in Emi's promise. That was why he did as she bid. He had helped Emi to get Akihito in the false hope that Emi would release them. He knows now that it was stupid. Emi not only refused to release them, but she also wanted to leave them in this godforsaken warehouse to rot to death. And when he complained, Goro beat him into a pulp.

A movement catches his eyes. It was Akihito, moving quietly from his best friend, Kou, to the guy called Takumi. It seems Arata is not the only one Emi has betrayed. Takumi cursed and called Emi so many rude names as Goro held the man down last night. But Emi merely dismissed the man's fury with a laugh.

"Are you okay?" Arata heard his boyfriend asking Takumi, who by now has curled into a ball, clutching his stomach in pain. "Did she hurt you much?"

Instead of answering Akihito's concern, Takumi bursts into a laughing fit. But the pain stopped Takumi quickly and he gasped for air with difficulties for a while. Takumi's voice dripped with sarcasm when he finally replied bitterly, "Like you care."

"Well, I thought it was obvious from my question that I do care. That crazy ugly man of hers kicked you in the stomach quite hard so she must hate you quite a lot as well. You know, as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my ally," Akihito snarled back at the wounded man. "Now, don't be stubborn and let me see your stomach."

Without waiting for Takumi's permission, Akihito forces the man in front of him to comply with his request. Yanking Takumi's shirt up, Arata sees Akihito slowly pressing his palm on different places in Takumi's muscular chest and belly.

"What? Are you a doctor or something?" Takumi was obviously in too much pain to fight back.

Akihito snorted. Akihito's snort is a familiar voice that Arata misses so much. It sounds funny in a cute way and it always makes him smiling. Even now, sitting on this filthy concrete floor while carrying his dying sister, surrounded by tons of uncertainties, Arata can't help but smile.

"I am definitely no doctor. But I have done my share of fighting during my high school years to know how to assess the seriousness of an injury. Surprisingly, it turned out to be quite a useful skill as well for an investigative photographer. Those politicians, yakuzas, and shady businessmen always had a couple of bodyguards who were way too happy to make me their punching bag."

No one says another word for a long minute. Arata can't hear anything but Kou's pained breathing, his sister's incoherent mumbling and Takumi's whimpers whenever Akihito touches a purplish spot on his body.

"Investigative photographer? He..." Another whimper that quickly turns into a halted shout. "...he let you to do such a dangerous thing?"

In the beginning, Arata thought Takumi was asking about whether _Arata_ gave Akihito permission to take such a dangerous career. But Akihito's immediate answer told him how wrong he was. Akihito and Takumi weren't talking about him.

Akihito practically yelled at Takumi, "No one _let_ me to do or not to do anything! I do what I want and Ryu better deals with it!"

A surprise gasp. "...Ryu?" Takumi whispered softly.

"What? Don't tell me you don't know that his name is Asami Ryui-"

"I know his name. Everyone knows his name. But I have known no one who dares to call him by his given name."

Another one of that cute snort. But this time, Arata is no longer smiling.

This topic, how those who are rich and powerful are treated differently by the society, is one of Akihito's sensitive subjects. Because of the dimmed lighting, Arata can't really see Akihito's expression, moreover Takumi. But being with his boyfriend long enough, Arata knows that Akihito's face must be showing his disgust by now. Akihito always does that whenever he sees or hears something that doesn't make any sense to him.

"Everyone treats Ryu as if he is god. You know what? Surprise!" Akihito sounded cheerful before continued in a completely flat tone to mock, "He is not."

"Well, maybe to you, he isn't. To others, he is the god who decides whether they can live or not. If he is in their side, lucky for them. If he isn't, well, no one will want that," the injured man grumbled.

Akihito releases a long tired sigh. "I guess, we need to agree to disagree here. Things are what we want to see. Some people just refuse to see Ryu as anything else beyond his wealth and power."

"So, you found something beyond his wealth and power?" Takumi asked mockingly. "Like what? His crazy libido's level? His kinkiness for bed partner? His violent behavior? His unreasonable urge to control every damned person around him?"

There is an uncomfortable silence as Akihito steps back and stares at the wounded man in front of him.

"Somehow, you sounded as if you were trying hard to find excuses to hate him," Akihito calmly broke the tension.

Takumi growled through gritted teeth, "I JUST HATE HIM SO MUCH THAT I DON'T EVEN NEED AN EXCUSE ANYMORE! You don't know what he did to me! The only thing that makes me happy right now is the thought that, finally, Asami Ryuichi will lose something that is dear to him. I wish I could see his tears when it happened. Unfortunately, I can't. But it is okay. I will see you going to hell, knowing that it will give Asami Ryuichi so much pain. And it will be enough for me. I'll die with no regret."

Akihito merely shrugs. "Indeed, he can be such a jerk most of the times. That bastard has some serious problems with his twisted personality. I always told him that. Well, can't say I don't understand why you hate him so much. My start with him wasn't that smooth as well and at the moment, I want to kill him too. But there were times when he surprised me by showing his consideration to others. Just my 2 cents, though. You don't have to take it too seriously."

Takumi is apparently shock with the matter-of-fact reply because he doesn't comment on what Akihito said.

"Anyway, your injury is not that serious, but we still better bring you to the hospital soon. For now, stay here. I am going to check Arata and Mariko. Then, we can think of a way to get us out of here so we can punch that bastard together. Hang on there, okay?"

Considering their current condition, Akihito's optimistic attitude is unbelievable. Arata has long lost the hope that he can get out of this situation alive. But not Akihito. The young photographer walks steadily towards him before kneeling down to check his sister.

"Emi is going to kill us all," Arata quickly whispered in fear when Akihito was within earshot. "She said she is going to kill you first, Akihito. I am so sorry. I don't want to help her. But she threatened Mariko and I don-"

"Shh. It is okay. I understand your position. You have to protect your family and you have no other choice. And what she did to Mariko is totally unfair. But the bitch has to try really, really, hard to kill any of us now because I will stop her. I have faced scarier things in my life than a petite girl who is blinded by love," Akihito teased to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, we will find a way to escape, Arata."

Akihito's hazelnut eyes are blazing with determination. Arata has never seen his boyfriend as a criminal photographer before, preferring to stay away from Akihito's odd job choice. Now, looking at those fiery orbs, Arata can't help but wonders whether Akihito always has this passionate look whenever he captures his target through his viewfinder; a look that screams his resolution to do what is right, to save those he cares about and to defend those who can't defend themselves; a look that defiantly challenges everyone who dares to prevent him from doing so; a look that refuses to bow down to anyone and anything; a look that is completely unfamiliar to Arata. It is stunning, yet it looks foreign in his boyfriend's face.

Akihito that he knows is not like this. Akihito that he knows willingly resigned from his position as crime photographer, taking safer fashion magazine projects instead, just because Arata had been worried about Akihito's dangerous career choice. Akihito that he knows let him to lead their relationship, saying that the most important thing was Arata's dream and their future together. Akihito that he knows grumbled about his long working hours, about his demanding job, about going into his office parties, about having to socialize with what Akihito called the money-oriented-people-who-shopped-at-stores-named-after-people. _You know, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and whatever names I can't even remember_, Akihito whined to him. But Akihito had never complained so strongly against doing what Arata wanted him to do. Instead, Akihito compromised a lot during their two years relationship, which was the main reason for their more or less stable relationship. So, observing how Akihito calmly takes charge of their situation now is a bit unsettling.

_The whole things about keeping a collection of whores, pointing illegal guns at others, kidnapping people, not only beating them but also threatening to kill them, nothing is normal at all! How can Akihito be so calm knowing about all that? _

Not for the first time in the last 24 hours, Arata questions himself whether he really knows his boyfriend. Watching the unwavering man who examines his sister's condition in front of him, Arata starts to feel unsure. Maybe, things are not as simple as how he sees it. Maybe, as Akihito said to Takumi, there are more beyond the visible things. And most probably, Arata had been too ignorant to be able to see it.

But it is way too late now to fix his mistake.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. A Vow To Keep Him Safe<strong>

_Asami sat very still in the comfortable chair behind the wooden desk in his office room. It was almost early morning. The night was quiet and the entire building was mostly empty but for security guards and a bunch of cleaning services. And Kirishima._

_His second hand man was standing in front of him with a completely stoic expression as if the secretary didn't have any opinion whatsoever about what was written in the report that Asami just read. But the crime lord knew better. Kirishima was anxious. They had known each other for more than a decade that Asami could easily recognized all the nervous sign his secretary tried to hide almost desperately._

_Well, he knew he couldn't fool Kirishima by pretending that he wasn't affected by this latest report as well._

_"There is nothing in this report explaining why Akihito decided to quit his job," he finally commented in an icy tone. It was clear that Kirishima would stay silent to avoid Asami's blackened mood as long as it was possible. Asami's day hadn't been exactly pleasing and many people had to face his wrath since he had stepped into his office today. This news definitely didn't make his mood any better._

_"Our man reported that Takaba-sama didn't give clear explanation to the editor in chief, Asami-sama," Kirishima answered carefully. "Takaba-sama just said that he wanted to quit for a personal reason. However, rumors run wild that I believed what our man reported to me came more from gossips than from facts."_

_The answer was said way too carefully that Asami knew immediately his secretary was hiding something from him. Normally, he would feel amused that Kirishima still thought there was a way to hide anything from him. Surely, after all these years, Kirishima would know better. But today, Asami didn't feel entertained by this kind of foolishness at all. Instead, Kirishima's secretive attitude felt like a betrayal to him and it fueled Asami's anger. _

_The crime lord didn't shout or yell, though. Being loud or showing emotion was never his style. Removing all the remaining human expression from his own face, Asami simply replied, "And may I know whatever this 'personal reason' that Akihito gave to his editor, Kirishima, or do I have to beat the answer out of you?"_

_Asami's tone was flat, almost bored. And it was the only sign of Asami's thinning patience. The Adam's apple at the front of Kirishima's throat moved as the man swallowed anxiously to hide his fear. Kirishima didn't usually get intimidated. So, whatever the man was trying to hide from Asami was most likely very irritating._

_"Well, Sir, please allow me to remind you that this is gossips and there is no-"_

_Asami's tone was sharp with warning when he cut Kirishima's rambling off, punctuating every word with harsh pause, "What. Did. Our man. Say. Kirishima?" _

_There was hesitation for a long moment before Kirishima finally resigned to his fate and answered, "Well, his colleagues seem to think that Takaba-sama is...umm, engaged. One of his colleagues at work, Mitarai, claimed to hear from Takaba-sama himself that Takaba-sama's 'fiance' doesn't like him to take such a dangerous career path. He said that the 'fiance' found a death letter or some kind of threat. Whatever it was, the 'fiance' freaked out and asked for Takaba-sama to either quit his job or cancel their wedding. Mitarai doesn't know that Takaba-sama's partner is a man, of course. That is why I believe it is just gossips. According to the law of Japan, two men still can't get marr -"_

_"I don't give a fuck about any laws or rules, Kirishima."_

_Another nervous swallow. "Of course, Sir. Please forgive my thoughtlessness," his trusted man bowed low._

_A flood of relief filled Asami, though. He had thought of the worst when he read about Akihito's resignation. A serious injury or sickness that made Akihito unable to do his duty, perhaps. Something that Asami had no control over. Something that he could do nothing about. But it appeared to be nothing to worry about. _

_"So? That's all the reason behind Akihito's resignation? The dog asked my Akihito to quit poking at dangerous men because they wanted to get married or whatever and Akihito agreed to do so?" _

_Asami's tone was light now and his shoulders relaxed. Flipping the pages of the report, he scanned the details of what his man had reported, staring at the photos of the boy whom he treasured above all things. Well, almost all things. No, there was nothing mentioned about sickness or injury, thank God. His boy looked as healthy and vibrant as ever._

_His secretary, in the other hand, didn't share his newfound relief. Kirishima looked at Asami with a complete confusion and a hint of worry in his face. Obviously, the secretary thought that Asami had missed the whole point from the report but felt unsure on how to breach the subject without raising Asami's fury. _

_"Umm, Sir, perhaps the report was not being clear enough. Please allow me to re-elaborate it. Based from what our man gathered so far, there are quite a strong evidences that Takaba-sama is planning to get married with-"_

_Kirishima waved his hands around in a silly gesture to symbolize marriage, trying his best to emphasize the word with his body language. Asami snorted in amusement at Kirishima and quickly, the snort turned into a burst of laugh. _

_"Sir?" Now, Kirishima's eyes were truly full with worry. Did Kirishima think he had lost his mind from a broken heart? Geez, his secretary could be so entertaining sometimes._

_Still chuckling, Asami waved his hand to calm Kirihshima. It looked as if Kirishima would hysterically call his private doctor within seconds if Asami didn't placate his trusted man soon. Kirishima's mobile was inside his tight grip already, fingers ready to press the number, and those eyes behind Kirishima's glasses stared at Asami with such intensity as if looking for any particular sign of madness._

_"Please, Kirishima, have a seat. You look like you are going into a panic attack if you stay standing. Calm down, there is nothing to worry about."_

_Uncertain of what else to do, Kirishima slowly sat in the chair in front of Asami. "Sir, our man said that he could pull some strings to push Takaba-sama to not resign from-"_

_"No, Kirishima. There is no need to do anything right now." His secretary stared at him in disbelief, so Asami explained lightly, "Apparently, that Takagi dog doesn't know my boy well. If someone wants to keep Akihito, he has to give the boy a very spacious room to move around. My Akihito can't live if he was restricted by so many rules. In fact, the more you tell him 'No', the more likely Akihito will do the exact thing that you don't want him to do. And that is what Takagi is doing: making rules for Akihito. Not stopping at that, he also takes the most important part in Akihito's life, his passion. My boy may bear with it for some time, believing that kind of normal life is what he wants. But he will grow restless soon."_

_Kirishima just stared at Asami with a dumbfounded expression in his face. _

_"But, if he is really getting married, Sir, it-"_

_"It doesn't matter, Kirishima. I don't care whether he is married or divorced or widowed or anything else. It is just a word in a piece of paper. He is mine. He knows it. He just doesn't want to admit it right now. Akihito is still confused after the Russian incident, which is understandable. He is tired with all the...excitement, so he wants something more...normal. But my Akihito is an adrenaline junkie by nature and soon he will crave for it. For now, let him play house with his dog and enjoy a quiet day. No harm there. Besides, this way, Akihito will be safer. He is more careful nowadays, although he has never been careful enough." _

_"Forgive me but I beg to differ, Asami-sama. Takaba-sama is as reckless as ever. I am sure my life had shortened tremendously cleaning up his messes," Kirishima grumbled. Asami wanted to laugh. _

_Akihito last investigation was a few months a go, sometime before his boy had started the relationship with that Takagi dog. The young photographer had investigated a foreign businessman who had imported black market products to Tokyo. Of course, the shady foreigner hadn't been happy having an investigative photographer at his doorstep, sneaking around to find proof of his illegal business. When Asami's man who followed Akihito had found out that the foreigner had threatened his boy, Asami'd sent Kirishima to settle the issue without Akihito knowing that Asami was still watching his back even after their separation. Poor Kirishima had spent near an hour explaining politely, then threatening softly, and finally screaming at the rude foreigner that if the man wanted to keep his business _and _life, he better stayed away from the young photographer. But having a strong support from a powerful Thailand mafia, the foreigner had refused and Asami had ended up killing the man, kicking the company out of Japan, and destroying their entire route. It was such a mess. _

_The memory reminded him of one thing that Kirishima had told him. "You mentioned something about a threat letter for Akihito. Do you manage to find out from whom it is this time?"_

_Nodding, Kirishima answered, "It is from Watanabe-san's underling."_

_Ah, Watanabe Nari, a Diet member who had made a few dealings with the yakuza group. Watanabe had supported laws that gave more room to organized crime activities, no doubt receiving many incentives in return. His Akihito played with a very dangerous man, indeed. It was not only Watanabe Nari that would try to kill his boy, but also the yakuza group behind the old man._

_Asami sighed. Well, it didn't matter. Watanabe Nari was nothing against him. Since Akihito left, Asami had strengthened his power with sweat, tears, and blood. Literally. Most of the tears and blood had belonged to his enemies and rivals, though. As a result, not many in the world could go against him without suffering at least a huge loss on their side. And it was all for his Akihito, to allow Akihito to return to his side without any worry of being hurt anymore._

_"Give Watanabe-san a polite call and warn him not to hurt my Akihito in any way. A man like him will know better than making me his enemy. As compensation, offer him our assistance to clean up his mess. He can rest assured that his dealings won't leak into public. Akihito might have resigned, but his colleagues can continue what he left behind. Just make sure they can't find anything that will lead them to the wrong place."_

_Kirishima bowed dutifully. _

_"Ah, and give Kaga-san from Nakamura-kai a visit. He can take care of the yakuzas."_

_"Please consider it done, Asami-sama."_

_As Kirishima retreated from his office, Asami thought back about his younger lover. Now that Akihito had quitted his career in criminal, it wouldn't be long until Akihito realized that a normal boring life wouldn't fit him. Asami needed to speed up his plan to secure Akihito's future with him, making sure that Akihito would always be completely safe. _

There will be no repeat of the Russian incident. I will become stronger than the gods if I have to and no one will dare to take Akihito away from me anymore. He is mine and I will keep him safe, protected, and well_. _

_Closing his eyes in satisfaction, Asami made the vow with nothing but the night as its witness._

* * *

><p>When Asami finally arrives, Kirishima has made a mess out of the beautiful Emi. Blood, sweat, and a layer of filth cover her creamy skin that he loves so much since it reminds him of Akihito's silky skin. The left side of her hazelnut eyes is now closed from swelling. Asami could see a few broken fingers and various burnt parts on her body. But the girl still sits regally as if she is a queen in her own throne. It is quite impressive actually.<p>

Asami doesn't have time nor patience to feel impressed at the moment, though. He had trusted Kirishima to question Emi so he can look for Takumi. But the other boy is nowhere to be found. His apartment is empty. His friends, or those that Takumi considered as friend before, don't know anything. And the owner of the art shop to where Takumi frequently goes hasn't seen the boy for almost a week. Which is weird for Takumi. After sending the most of his allowance to his family, Takumi always spends what little left of it to buy brushes or oil paints or canvas or other art things. He comes to the shop almost every day as if it is a grocery shop.

Takumi's guard said that the boy left the night when Akihito was gone, saying that he wanted to buy a few new brushes for his latest painting. Takumi is a quiet one, never causes any problem and prefers to stay inside, so his guard didn't think much when he received a message later informing that Takumi met a friend and would stay the night at his friend's place.

So, Takumi was gone along with Akihito. Whatever happened, it is clear that something is definitely wrong. Asami's instinct told him that Emi is the source of all these problems, however he doesn't know how the girl could force both Akihito and Takumi to leave, even with Goro's help. Takumi is muscular and tall, not as big as Goro, but it still will not be easy for Goro to subdue the boy. And it would take more than physical force to control Akihito. But Akihito brought Nao. Did Emi force his boy to do what she wanted by threatening Nao?

And there is still Takagi Arata involved. What was the dog doing in all this mess? If it was all Emi's doing, how could Takagi be captured in the CCTV with Akihito? Was this revenge? Did Takagi find out about Akihito's betrayal and hurting Akihito to spite him?

The thought of Akihito getting hurt sends a sharp pang of anger in Asami. He had made a promise to keep the boy safe. But look at what happened. Akihito was gone the moment Asami thought that he had done everything possible to keep his boy safe.

_Obviously, 'everything' is not enough when Akihito is involved, _he thought grimly.

Noticing his entrance, Emi turned to look at him. Even with bruised and swollen face, she smiles when she sees Asami. Ignoring her, Asami removes his suit jacket and pulls his sleeves up.

"Asami-sama," Kirishima and the few men in the room bowed at him.

The crime lord doesn't waste any time to answer the greeting. Instead, he asked while walking towards Emi and Kirishima, "Did she say anything?"

Kirishima looks to be ashamed as he scowls at Emi. "No, Sir. She keeps silent no matter how much pain I gave her."

Asami merely nods at the girl. "You are a strong one, Emi. I will give you that."

"Asami," Emi called him with an intense longing in her hazelnut eyes and complete adoration in her voice. "You are here."

Kirishima opens his mouth, most probably to correct the girl that it should be Asami-sama to her, but Asami doesn't care about such a trivial thing right now. So, he asked before his secretary could get the first word out, "Where are they, Emi?"

Raising her eyebrow, Emi tilts her head in confusion, "They?"

"Akihito, Nao, and Takumi. Where are they?"

There was a momentary surprise in Emi's face before it turned into anger. Struggling to break free from her restrain, Emi screamed in fury, "Takumi?! Why do you even care about him?!"

Asami notices the perplexed expression in Kirishima's face. Judging from his secretary's reaction, this must be the first time the girl showing any emotion since the interrogation has started. It is something that Asami can use.

"Oh? Should I not care about him?"

He takes his cigarettes box out. Putting one in his mouth, Asami let Kirishima lighting it for him.

"You didn't care about him before!"

Taking a deep breath of the addicting smoke, he asked calmly, "Did I not?"

"Yes, you didn't! You visited him the least among us all! You didn't even bring him to public anymore! It is just about time until you dump him like the others!"

Standing silently in front of the chained girl, Asami observes his prey. His golden eyes are cold and his face is void from all expression. It is such an extreme contrast from his casual and amused voice. Kirishima, knowing that it is a sign of Asami's total anger, unconsciously takes a step away from his boss.

"'Like the others'?" Asami asked lightly, chuckling. "How do you know about what I did to 'the others'? How do you know how many times I visited Takumi or how often I brought him to public events?"

Realizing her mistake, Emi stills.

"But, you are right. I rarely visited him or bought him to public events. Yet, I kept him for more than two years. How long has it been since you came to my service? Two years?"

Asami purposely glances at Kirishima for answer. Taking his cue, the secretary readily answered, "One year and seven months, Sir."

"Hmm, not even two years. And yet, here you are, just a moment away from your contract being terminated."

Tears started to fall on the once pretty cheeks. The girl looks so similar like Akihito, even with all the bruises, that Asami has to remind himself: this is not Akihito crying in front of him.

"Contract? Is that all our relationship is about for you, Asami? I gave you sons! I brought you pleasures! I did everything for you!"

Exhaling the white smoke from his lungs, Asami answered evenly, "This is just business, Emi. You give me services and I pay for it. Cars, apartments, jewelries, clothes, generous monthly allowance enough to feed some villages in third world countries, oh even those cosmetic surgeries that you wanted. Don't tell me you don't get _anything_ out of our contract."

She laughs then. Emi doesn't even bother to pretend to stay innocent anymore. "But Akihito is different, of course. How about Takumi then? Is he different, too?"

Hazel meets gold as they stare at each other.

"Takumi is nothing for you to be concerned about. Now, tell me where they are and I will make this quick and painless for you."

A satisfied smile appears in Emi's face. Asami doesn't like that smile. It turns his blood cold and sends his heart racing even though in the outside, he looks as calm as ever.

_Wherever you are, hold on, Akihito. Please._

Emi's reply, however, sunk him in despair.

"It is too late, Asami. By now, Goro must have brought your golden boy to the place where his next owner will pick him up. I don't know the real identity of the owner or to where he will bring Akihito. We did our dealing anonymously. But I know one thing for sure: the last thing Akihito will see in Japan is the baby boy being killed right in front of his eyes. And that will be how your Akihito is going to remember your failure to keep him safe until the day he dies!"

He knows Emi doesn't know anything about his vow to keep Akihito safe. But her sarcastic retort unexpectedly finds the truth and the reminder of his failure pained him greatly. But what hurt him the most is the idea of Akihito being in pain, emotionally and physically. Again. He sees red all over and before he can control his emotion, his hand lashes out to strangle the girl. Emi chokes by the strength of his grip alone.

"Where. Did. You. Left. Them?!" He howled, punctuating every word with a banging of Emi's head into the back of the chair.

He doesn't realize Kirishima's hand on his right shoulder until his secretary said evenly, "Sir, she can't answer if you hold her throat like that."

It takes a few long seconds and some deep breathing before he can release his deadly grip on the girl's neck. Even after that, his fingers still tremble slightly in anger.

While wincing in pain, Emi smiles at him eerily as she gives him the address of where she keeps Akihito, Nao and Takumi.

"Maybe...," she coughs to clear her burning throat, "...you can still find Takumi there. If Goro hasn't fuck him to death before he left with your boy and _my_ baby. But you hate it when someone touches your...things, don't you? And after Goro tainted Takumi, I doubt you will want to keep him around. So, what are you going to do, Asami? Kill me? Akihito is somewhere you can't find and Takumi is dirty by now. I am the only one left. I love you with all my heart. I won't betray you. I will do anything for you. Can't you see it? I know this is all a test, Asami. A test to find the suitable partner for you. But have I not proved enough? I have passed everything with strength, grace and dignity. I have eliminated the others. I am the most appropriate partner for you, my love and my king and my god."

Kirishima is staring blatantly at Emi in shock by now. Obviously, the girl is sick and twisted. But in his anger, Asami doesn't even have any pity for her.

"King and god?" he asked with disgust shining in his golden eyes, though Emi was definitely oblivious of that fact. "Then what are you? The queen?"

Hope rises in Emi's eyes as she nods furiously.

Smiling back at her, Asami continued icily, "You think so highly of yourself, don't you, Emi? Then let me show you your place." Turning into Kirishima, he quickly ordered, "Sell her to a lowly brothel. Tell the owner that I want her to serve the lowest of men. There is no need to treat her nicely. Make sure she doesn't run away and keep her alive. For if Akihito and Nao are hurt in any way, I will come back to her and she will wish to be nothing but a whore rather than facing my wrath."

And with that threat, Asami left to find Akihito and their son. Little did he know that when he finally meets his lover an hour later, nothing would ever be the same. And for that, Asami will blame his failure to protect his Akihito for years to come.


	16. Chapter 16 No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

**Umm, I am sorry it takes this long. Some things go wrong in client's side and suddenly I have to draw more illustration that agreed. But it is mostly done now, just some revision left. So, I hope that I can update regularly again from now on (at least once in 2 weeks, cross my fingers). **

**Anyway, next chapter will be the last one in this story. It will be about Asami, Aki, the kids, and a short part about Emi's fate. And yes, there will be lemon. There will also be an epilogue, which is a prologue to the sequel : Against The Wall (If I don't change my mind in the last minute). **

**I really really thank you for your patience. Really. Like really, I meant it.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16. <strong>**No Good Deed Goes Unpunished**

**Part 1. ****A Murderer**

"Akiiii-chaaan, are you ready to go?" Goro's terrible voice raised the soft hair behind Takumi's neck.

There is a loud screeching from a heavy door being unlocked and not long after, streams of light come into the dark storage. Takumi throws a glance at Akihito, who by now has become a sort of leader among their small gang, yet Akihito focuses his gaze at the door.

The young photographer stands defiantly in the middle of the room instead of sitting somewhere on the floor like the rest of them. Takumi remembers reading a random article before, stating that leaving a prisoner without anything to sit on but the floor is a way to break the prisoner's mental strength. It is meant to teach the prisoner who is in in charge. It is not easy to stand up from a sitting position on the floor and it makes the person who stands in front of you looks bigger and mightier. Takumi doesn't know whether Akihito is now standing to avoid that effect or not, but quickly he follows to stand.

Goro strides arrogantly into the storage room and Takumi fights the urge to crawl back to his corner. There is a sinister air around the stupid loon, something dark and evil that makes Takumi cringing in fear and gives him goose bumps. It is a completely different fear than when he stands in front of Asami Ryuichi. He can't explicitly explain what the difference is, but Goro scares him in a way that no one else did.

Goro holds something in his arms. A baby. And the baby sobs wearily in Goro's arms as if the poor little thing has screamed until he has no energy left and can't do anything more than making soft protests. Takumi can only stare at the baby. Whose baby is that? Why is the baby here? Emi didn't say anything about-

"You better give me that kid now or Asami Ryuichi will hunt you down to the end of the world and tear you to pieces," Akihito ordered calmly, but Takumi can see that Akihito's hand is trembling. Apparently, Akihito can still feel fear.

Wait. Why will Asami Ryuichi give a fuck about a baby-

Shit. Shit. So, the rumor is true. This must be Asami's son that some of the guards had been whispering about. Takumi overheard that Asami had secretly raised his future heir but he had never believed it. He can't imagine the rough and cruel man holding any child. But guessing from Akihito's threat, it is obvious that the kid must be Asami's.

"Owww, don't worry, Aki-chan. Asami Ryuichiis not here and he won't know anything about this. Surely what he doesn't know won't hurt him," Goro cooed mockingly while raising the mouth of his gun to the baby's head, brushing it slowly against the small pink lips. The poor kid must be hungry because he instinctively sucks the cold metal, not knowing that the damn thing can end his life so easily.

"Tsk tsk, look at him," Goro sneered. "The young master must be very hungry. He needs some tits to feed him. Why don't we ask Aki-chan to feed you, hmm?"

Not too gently, Goro pushed his gun harder into the baby's mouth. Akihito's back stiffened at the silent threat and the photographer's hands turned into fists. But Akihito doesn't say anything.

Despite his own pain and fear, Takumi found himself moving towards Akihito. No matter how much Takumi hates Asami Ryuichi, he has never had any intention to hurt a baby. No child should pay for his or her parent's mistake. This baby is innocent.

_Akihito is innocent, too_, a small voice at the back of his brain reminded him. _But a few hours ago, you wanted him to die just to spite Asami._

Shaking his head slowly to clear his mind, Takumi feels a nauseous wave of guilt and regret. Everything is just wrong. True, he wished to hurt Asami. He wanted to make Asami pay for all his misery. But not like this. If Takumi killed innocent people to get his revenge on Asami, what would that make him? Doesn't that mean that he is no better than Asami?

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his stomach, Takumi stands tall besides Akihito. He can feel rather than see when Akihito's shoulder relaxes a bit in gratitude for his silent support even though Akihito keeps his eyes on the baby.

"Now, now, Takumi-kun, I hope you enjoy your new accommodation?" Goro turned his attention to him. Takumi frowned but stayed silent. "I am sorry but I don't have appetite for someone your size. You are too…big, too much muscles for my taste. I prefer the...petite ones," the big man paused before smiling hungrily at Akihito, his eyes blazing with pure lust. Goro's oil stained hand absently stroked the baby's cheek in a flirtatious gesture as he continued, "...like Asami's favorite boy."

What a incorrigible bastard!

Before Takumi could snap at the loon's brash behaviour, however, he heard a shock muffled gasp behind them. It was most probably Arata, considering that the other two people behind him are practically unconscious. Takumi doesn't dare to turn around to make sure, though. His basic instinct forbids him from showing his back to Goro.

"Strip," Goro commanded Akihito with a victorious grin in his ugly face. "Give us all a show, Aki-chan."

Shit.

"No, no, no, no," Arata chanted the single word silently as if it would make any difference.

Fucking shit. Inside his head, Takumi thinks about tackling Goro to the ground. He is strong enough to do that. Goro is big, but Takumi is not small either. The only thing that stops him from doing so is the fear that Goro will pull the trigger and kill the baby right there. There is not much they can do as long as Goro has the baby in his arms.

Akihito says nothing, only staring at the baby so intensely. The young photographer's grim expression squeezes Takumi's heart. This is all his mistake. How he wished to stop all of this nonsense.

But it is too late.

Slowly, so very slowly, Akihito takes his leather jacket off. Then, closing his eyes in shame, cheeks burning red as if on fire, the photographer yanks his shirt off, throwing it aside and showing vast creamy skin. Being a painter, Takumi has seen a lot of models with pretty skin. Yet, Akihito's skin looks as smooth as a silk and more beautiful than any that Takumi has ever seen in his life. Akihito's body is lean and slim with just the right amount of muscle in every perfect place. Akihito doesn't look feminine, but there will be no other word to describe his body other than beautiful. If they were not in this ill situation, Takumi would like to sit and make sketches of Akihito all he wants.

When Akihito's fingers reach the waistband of his pants, Takumi can't stand it anymore. Lunging forward with all his might, he grabs Akihito's wrist to stop the young man.

"You don't have to do this," Takumi whispered. His voice was almost quiet, not because he didn't want anyone to hear it. With how silent the entire room is, everyone will be able to hear whatever he says perfectly. Takumi just can't find the strength to raise his voice towards Akihito right now. He understands why Akihito is doing this. He knows there is no other way. But he still can't accept that Akihito has to be humiliated to save the baby. No one deserves this. Not even Asami's lover.

Akihito didn't have to reply, though. The sound of Goro clicking the gun safety off was an answer already.

"Please," Takumi finally begged Goro in desperation. "Please, they don't do anything wrong to you." Tears started to stream down his cheeks and his body shook violently. Takumi had never felt so powerless. Even when his father told him that their family had gone bankrupt, he knew that he could still help his family by selling his body to Asami Ryuichi. He didn't lose hope. Now, he doesn't know what to do to fix everything. Worse, he had helped to orchestrate this pointless torture.

"Please," he cried shamelessly. Guilt and frustration filled every fibre in his body. "Please!"

"Stand back, Takumi-kun," Goro ordered lazily, knowing that as long as he has the baby, no one can do anything against him. "Be a good boy. Sit nicely with the others and enjoy Aki-chan's show, ok?"

A hand squeezes his shoulder gently. Akihito's. Takumi looks over his shoulder to find the young man smiling sadly.

"It is okay, Takumi-san," Akihito said. "Please do what he say."

Numbly, Takumi walks towards the now sobbing Arata, cursing himself all the way. What evil has he done? God, how much he wants to turn back time and end this nightmare before it even started.

Akihito is finally naked. Goro paced around the young man like a starving wolf looking at a bloody raw meat, humming approvingly every now and then at Akihito's body. Instead of shying away, Akihito stares back at Goro defiantly. Akihito's stubbornness seems to annoy Goro and the big man suddenly grabs Akihito's ball roughly, pulling it without any care and making Akihito grunt in pain.

"Face to the front," Goro barked to Akihito. "Do anything stupid and this cute kid's brain will be all over the floor."

Standing behind Akihito, Goro licks all over Akihito's body, from the line of his jaw to his neck. Then, without any warning, Goro bits hard into Akihito's shoulder. It is not a playful bite meant for foreplay but one that leaves a trail of blood on Akihito's back. Smiling eerily, Goro's tongue reaches out to taste Akihito's blood. Akihito obviously tried to swallow his scream, but when Goro drills his filthy finger into the open wound, the photographer starts to sob, fisting his hands so tightly while keeping his face to look to the front.

Then more bites, and slices, and kicks, and hits come.

And through all that, Takumi forces himself to see. Even when he can only freeze there, shaking like an infant, as ready to piss himself in his pants as a child would be, watching the prideful young man unwillingly submit to Goro's darkest desire, Takumi watches it all in regret. He can't close his eyes now just because he is afraid. Not when he is the cause of all of this.

Beside him, Arata curls into a tight ball, closing his eyes while holding his sister. The poor guy rocks his body slowly as if in a trance, humming a children's song that Takumi had heard but isn't familiar with.

It may not be more than ten minutes until Goro purrs in ecstasy, drown in his pleasure playing and hurting Akihito's body. But for Takumi, it feels like hours. Every time Akihito growled in pain, every time Goro had his wicked way on Akihito's body, Takumi gritted his teeth as he prayed silently for Goro's death.

Akihito already has dark bruises and fresh wounds all over his body but Goro doesn't seem to care at all. Instead, the sight of Akihito's injuries seems to excite the bulky man even more. Soon, Goro licks his bottom lips quickly as if he can taste Akihito's flavor on his tongue already.

"Kneel," Goro snarled, panting like a dog in heat. "Open your mouth wide, put your tongue out." Madness fills Goro's eyes and it scared Takumi.

Takumi can only stared dumbfounded at how painful it seems for Akihito to kneel. In such a short time, Goro has hurt Akihito so many times. Whenever Goro felt that Akihito's '_service_' was too slow, too fast, too hesitant, too willing, the young photographer would receive another blow, another kick and another slap. There was no pattern of what Goro wanted. Perhaps, the bulky man just wanted to make Akihito scream in pain. But no matter how hard Goro hit, Akihito took it without anything louder than a sob.

Losing himself in his monstrous lust, Goro grabs Akihito's hair with the hand that carries the gun. Goro's fingers only loosely grip the gun as the man thrusting his thick cock forcefully into Akihito's throat. Goro's other hand still holds Nao but his eyes flutter close. Takumi considers the idea of creeping around and seizing Goro from behind now that Goro doesn't pay much attention to his surrounding anymore. If Takumi does it quietly, he can move closer-

A shout stopped his thought.

Everything happened in a single breath. One moment, Akihito was kneeling in front of Goro, opening his mouth wide, resting both his hands on Goro's thighs and taking all he can. Then suddenly, Goro howled and roared in pain.

Goro's muscular arm instinctively lashes out to push the photographer away. His other hand clutches his groin painfully. But Akihito has bend his upper body low to avoid the blow. The young man doesn't even bother to swipe the blood from the corner of his mouth as he grabs Goro's glock from Goro's weakened grip and catches the baby that Goro dropped.

Imagining the pain that Goro experiences, Takumi instinctively winces. He feels no sympathy towards the sicko, but no man can stand the sight of another man's dick being bitten without at least flinching, knowing how bad it must feel to experience such thing.

The baby safe in one arm, Akihito points the gun at Goro. Without taking his eyes from Goro, Akihito said, "I saw a rope over there, Takumi-san. Can you take it to bind this guy?"

Before Takumi can move, though, Goro leaps toward Akihito. Screaming his pain and anger, the bulky man tries to grab the baby back. As if in a slow motion, Akihito raises the gun toward the crazy man. The gunshot was loud and clear, as deafening as the silent that follows. The heavy smell of sulphur is thick in the air. Blood was everywhere, splattering on the floor, on Akihito, and on the now screaming baby.

A few days later, when visiting him in the hospital, Asami will tell Takumi that it was a clean shot, right through the forehead. There will be a hint of proud in Asami's voice. But there will also be sorrow, as if the crime lord would do anything he could to undo what was done.

Right at that moment, however, Takumi can only freeze at the sight in front of him. Akihito holds the baby close to his chest, covering the poor little thing as much as he can, most probably from blood. Or maybe from the reality of life. Takumi can't be sure. Goro's body lies in front of the young man, the damaged head facing away towards the wall. The eyes that stares from those broken skull are devoid of soul. Takumi can't stop himself from looking at the disgusting fluid that-

"Please help Kou, Takumi-san," Akihito voice snapped Takumi out of his thought. Raising his head towards Akihito, Takumi realized that the young man has walked towards the equally shock Arata.

Akihito grabs Arata's arm to pull him up. "Come on, Arata. Bring Mariko. We need to move. We don't know how many people Emi has."

Surprising everyone, Arata quickly pushes Akihito away. While holding his sister tightly, he frantically crawls further away from Akihito, screaming all the way. "You…..who are you? You are not Akihito! You killed that guy! You killed him! Get away from me! Murderer! MURDERER!"

Arata is in shock, which makes him unstable. That much is obvious. Takumi can't really blame Arata. But Akihito is right. They don't have time to comfort an emotionally wounded man at the moment. Arata can have full therapy sessions and whatever fucking thing that the man needs to sooth his fuckingly fragile feeling later. For now, Arata needs to get a hold of himself.

Besides, it was self defense, damnit! If Takumi had the chance, no doubt he would also kill the man. Just because that monster hadn't had time to penetrated Akihito didn't mean that it was not rape! Geez, Goro had even tortured that woman in Arata's arms! Shooting him in the head was too kind! In frustration, Takumi moves forward and shakes Arata roughly. His grip on Arata's shoulders will leave bruises tomorrow but he doesn't care.

"Get a grip, man! That guy hurt YOUR sister! He will leave us here to die! Akihito just saved us and you better shut your fucking mouth and help us or we can fucking leave you here to die. The choice is yours but do it quickly!"

His shouting seems to calm Arata down. At least, the guy doesn't shout nonsense anymore.

But the damage was done. When Takumi turns around towards Akihito, the young man is standing so still, staring down at the blood on his own hand that carries the gun. Takumi squeezes Akihito's arm and pushes Akihito gently towards the door. There will be time for regret, but not now.

"Go ahead. I will get your friend and catch up with you soon." When Akihito doesn't move, he added, "You do the right thing, Takaba-san. You saved that baby. You saved us all. Now, get that baby out of here. This place isn't good for him."

It was only when he mentioned the baby that Akihito finally nodded. Thank god. He hopes Akihito can stay strong until they reach somewhere safe. Taking Kou on his back, Takumi walks quickly, passing the absentminded Akihito and leading them all out of there. He only glances back once to make sure that Akihito, Arata and Mariko are behind him.

They are just a few meters outside the building when a few black sedans enter the abandoned industrial complex. One of the cars, a sleek black BMW, is very familiar to Takumi. He knows the license number by heart and can recite it in his sleep.

Asami Ryuichi.

It doesn't matter how; Asami has found them. Takumi almost cries all over again in his relief. He doesn't think he can drag all of them out of there for long, not with Akihito being upset, Arata being shaken to the core, and two injured unconscious adults. Even now, he practically drags Akihito to move while bringing Kou's full weight on his back.

Asami is out of the car before the vehicle even parks properly. In just a few seconds, the crime lord has his arms around Akihito and the baby. It is only after Asami gets to him that Akihito has his breakdown. Tears stream down his cheeks and he cries his heart out on Asami's chest.

As Takumi observes the reunion in front of him, he notices a mixture of fear, relief, anger and hundreds of other emotions flashing in Asami's usually emotionless face. It is subtle, but it is still there. And for the first time since Takumi met Asami, the powerful man looks…human.

The thought feels weird to Takumi. Before he can contemplate on it, however, giddiness caught him unaware. The last thing he remembers before he falls into unconsciousness is Asami's deep voice, shouting continuous orders to his men as the powerful man catches Takumi before he hits the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2.<strong>** A Charity**

"It is nice of you to visit," Takumi commented as Asami sat in a chair near the hospital bed. "I don't expect it."

Without a word, the crime lord reaches towards his pocket and pulls a cigarette out with his mouth. As usual, Kirishima readily lights the cigarette before putting an ashtray on the side table near them. Where the secretary hides that ashtray up until then, Takumi has no idea. Maybe Kirishima always has one ready in his pocket.

"This is a hospital, you know. You can't smoke in here," Takumi reminded dryly.

The reply was short, "This is _my_ hospital." Which means, the man can do whatever he wants here.

Takumi snorts at the arrogant answer. Such an expected behaviour from Asami Ryuichi. But Takumi doesn't bother to speak up his mind. It doesn't matter. Just like this hospital, he belongs to this man. And just like this hospital's rules don't affect this man, Takumi's thoughts will not affect Asami Ryuichi as well.

Maybe dying in that shitty storage room is better than living a life as a slave like this.

"How's Takaba-san and the baby?" Takumi asked Asami to distract himself from his miserable thoughts.

There was no reply for a while. Then Asami answered calmly, "As good as can be expected."

It is obvious that the man doesn't want to impart any detailed information about his lover. And it is understandable, too. Asami almost lost his young lover and son just a few days a go. The powerful man won't trust other people with anything about his lover and son anytime soon, if not ever, fearing for their safety.

"…umm, Goro…?"

"Dead, obviously. It was a clean shot, right through the forehead," Asami replied.

He doesn't know what to say to that, so he stays quiet, waiting for Asami to start the conversation.

"So…you helped her," Asami said casually while tapping his cigarette onto the ashtray.

Slowly, Takumi closes his eyes. So this is the real reason why Asami comes to visit him. After two peaceful days in the hospital, he almost forgets that he did the unforgivable by helping Emi to kidnap Akihito. _And __Asami's heir_, he added silently. The fact that Takumi didn't know anything about the baby won't matter to Asami. Shit. There is no way Asami will let him live now.

Knowing there is no point in throwing excuses to Asami, Takumi simply replied, "Do you still need me to explain the reason to you? I thought it is obvious."

For a while, no one says anything. Keeping his eyes closed, Takumi can hear other noises more clearly. Outside, children are laughing and screaming in their innocent excitement. The nurses' shoes make constant noise as they walks down the hall. It is so peaceful that for a short moment, he can pretend that everything will be okay.

Then, Asami exhales the toxic smoke and the smell reminded Takumi of the fact that his life may end soon. He wishes he could see his family one last time. But he knows it is a vain hope.

"I hate you," he whispered.

"I know," Asami answered easily.

He opens his eyes to look at the man before him with hatred. "Yet, you don't care, do you?"

A bored sigh. "No, I don't care what you or other people think or feel about me. It is a waste of time. I do what I want to do."

"You didn't have to rape me! Yet, you still did it!" The accusation was out before Takumi could stop it. It made him blushing furiously when he realized that he just shout everything in front of Kirishima. To Kirishima's credit, the secretary remains cool despite the embarrassing topic. Well, after years working for Asami, Kirishima must have been in a much more awkward situation than listening to his boss's whore calling rape in front of him.

Asami, in the other hand, raised an eyebrow in amusement before answering, "Did I? I remember asking whether you wanted an out. You refused my offer."

Takumi opened his mouth to deny that simple statement, but he knows it is true. He did refuse when Asami offered to cancel the whole arrangement.

"I….I didn't…."

"You didn't….what?" Asami asked with a slow smile hanging in his lips, tilting his head lazily as if he knows the answer already.

"I didn't want it!" Takumi finished loudly. _But I still did it for my family, _he thought grimly. _For our company'__s employees. Speaking of which, what happens to all of them? I am too busy being depressed and hiding myself in my apartment to make any contact to the outside world._

"Well, I didn't tie you to my bed nor did I beat you to make you spreading your legs for me. It is all business, Takumi. You wanted money and I wanted a warm hole to satisfy my…need. If you pushed me away or even asked to cancel our deal, I would have stopped. And for your information, I was gentle with you, which I don't usually do, but the first time always hurts," Asami sneered at him annoyingly.

Angry yet unable to deny that fact, Takumi glares at the crime lord. Ignoring his fury, Asami merely continued, "I told you, there are always choices, Takumi."

"But my family needs the money! If I didn't do what I did, you wouldn't give us the money!"

The crime lord snorted amusedly. "Of course, I wouldn't. I don't do charity."

"Then what did you expect me to do, Asami? Let my father declare bankruptcy and fire hundreds of our employees?! Watch my family being drowned in poverty?"

Without even blinking an eye, Asami asked evenly, "Why not?"

"I couldn't do that! It is selfish! It-"

"Indeed, it is selfish. So, what? Everyone is selfish. Is any of your families or your family's employees here now to help you when you need them?"

Speechless, Takumi opens his mouth just to close it again. He doesn't have an answer to that. Asami doesn't say anything else as the man lets the thoughts sinking into Takumi's now troubled mind.

Finally, after a few minutes of silence, Takumi asked softly, "Why do you tell me all this?"

Asami must have given Kirishima a signal because the secretary readily places a document holder in Takumi's lap. Feeling curious, Takumi looks into the map. It is full of report, photos, and some newspaper articles. He quickly scans one of the papers, wanting to know what this is all about.

The content makes him gasp in shock. Apparently, the map contains full documentation of him and his family: their background and history, financial situation, family tree, everything. Flipping through, he sees his health report, his photos from right before he was sold to Asami, and a copy of a receipt. There is a huge amount of money written in the receipt. Takumi swallows in bitterness when he realizes that it is the price Asami paid to his family for Takumi's body.

And it is a really, really, really huge amount of money. It should pay all his family debt at once.

Dread fills his stomach at the understanding of what this all means. If his family debt was paid, where did all the money that he sent to his family every month go to? His hands tremble in fear and anger when he continues to scan through the report, all the way to the latest one that is dated just months ago.

"You know, among all those boys and girls that I bought, you are my favourite," Asami said casually while tapping his cigarette into the edge of the ashtray.

Takumi just laughed sourly, tears already streamed down his cheeks. He tried desperately to stop it, but it was a losing battle so he just let it go. So what if Asami see him crying? There will be nothing more embarrassing that the fact that he currently holds in his hand.

"Yeah, right. I thought it is Emi," he answered grimly. His voice trembled from emotion.

Asami's handsome face turned into a slight frown when the man heard Emi's name. But when Asami finally replied, his tone was cool without a hint of emotion, which actually was even more terrifying. "Hmm, she was indeed the most similar one physically. But you are the one with similar spirit. I love that fire in your eyes."

Takumi didn't miss the fact that Asami talked about Emi in past tense. It scared him to the core. But wisely, he kept his thought to himself.

"However, soon after you join my collection, I noticed that the fire in you was slowly dying. At that moment, more than my desire to keep you close, I wanted to keep that fire alive. So, I thought of returning you to your family, hoping that it would help you somehow," Asami continued calmly, staring into Takumi's eyes with such intensity that made Takumi shivering.

"It was then that I found the truth about your family. Indeed, your family business had some financial problem. But I had checked your family background and I knew for sure that the money I gave to your father should be enough to pay his debt. Apparently, I was wrong. Your father had a lover, a hostess. And this girl was the source of his debt, seducing him to buy all the things that he couldn't afford. Your dad sold not only you, but also your younger sister. He beat your mother until she was almost dead before leaving her. Even if I returned you to him, he would just sell you again to someone else, someone who might not think twice to hurt you until you died bleeding."

Shaking his head in denial, Takumi cries violently. All his emotion is spiralling wild. His entire body shakes in sorrow. He wants to refuse everything that Asami told him, but the proof is there in his hands. There is even a newspaper article writing about their company bankruptcy, the same company that he had tried to save by selling his body to Asami.

The last article wrote in detail about his father's suicide. The title, "_CEO of Hayashi Construction Group Death Ruled Suicide_" feels like a mockery for Takumi. His father was found dead in a shady motel's room, according to the article, after slicing his own wrist. A staff found him a few days after his death when she smelled something rotten from inside the room. The old man died alone without anyone to even look after his dead body. What a sad death. Had guilt driven his father to suicide? If it had, Takumi will never know.

His grief quickly turns into fury. A lonely and pitiful death is not enough to pay what his father had done to him, to his mother and sister. It seems unfair to him that the reason for their misery was dead without any judgement and punishment. He wants someone to blame and that someone was gone before he can do anything. Screaming his frustration in despair, he leans into Asami's chest, grabbing the soft wool of Asami's dark grey suit in a desperate grip.

To Takumi's surprise, Asami lets him weep without saying anything else. Asami pulls him into his strong embrace and Takumi rests his head on that broad chest without a fight. For once, Asami's arms feel safe. This man is the only anchor he has in his messy life, the only person that is strong enough to keep everything in order. Closing his eyes and screaming his heart out, he lets Asami's masculine scent comforts him.

When his cry finally morphs into unstoppable hiccups, Asami slowly passes him a glass full of warm water. He takes it gratefully and sips it slowly, savouring the feeling of being taken care of.

"My…my sister and mother, do you know where they are? Are…are they…are they-"

Still holding him, Asami rubs Takumi's back carefully, soothing his worry away without a word. The gentle treatment is unexpected. It confuses Takumi, but he welcomes it. Asami's kindness feels good for his wounded heart.

"They are alive. I managed to track down your sister and took her from the man who bought her. That man had abused your sister and she is a bit fragile mentally right now. But other than that, they are well. They live in a house in the suburb. Haruka keeps in contact with them, making sure they have everything that they need. I was just about to tell you but then Akihito run away. And with all that happened, it just slipped from my mind."

Asami's answer shocks him. He doesn't expect Asami to go that far for him. He definitely doesn't think that Asami will try to find his family, moreover to protect and provide for them. And for what purpose? He is nothing but a slave to this man.

The sound of a door being closed almost quietly made him realised that Kirishima had long left the room to give them some privacy. Looking up, he stares at Asami, wondering what is in Asami's mind.

"…why, Asami?" he asked after a long silence.

Instead of answering, Asami kisses the top of his head and releases him. Uncertain hazel eyes meet stoic amber ones.

"You said, you didn't do charity," he teased Asami with an unsure smile.

Asami cleared his throat uncomfortably. "And I still don't. Charity is nothing but a method for rich people to avoid taxes."

The slight awkwardness made Asami looks human. But since he saw Asami with Akihito, the crime lord doesn't look as menacing as before. Perhaps, without meaning to, Takumi has build a mental image of Asami in his head as the devil who took away all his happiness while in fact Asami wasn't the one at fault. _Well, at least, not the main one_, he added silently. It is easier to forgive when Asami looks more human.

Feeling comfortable, he feigned ignorance and asked, "Oh, I thought that's what you do? You know, avoiding taxes, kidnapping people, ruling the world and all?"

That roused a chuckle from Asami. With a sly smile, Asami answered, "Ruling the world is overrated."

"Says the person who rules the world," he snickered before pushing gently, "So…if this is not charity, then what is all this kindness for?"

The man cups his cheek and unconsciously he leans into the touch, nuzzling Asami's palm softly, for the first time enjoying the strength that prevents him from falling apart.

"You have talent, Takumi. I can see it in you. You are strong and brave and smart. You will grow into an amazing man given the chance," the crime lord paused. "And this is your chance."

That didn't really answer his question. Instead, it sounded more like a goodbye. He understood then. Asami wants to cut all ties with him. All of this is a compensation for his _trouble;_ a blood money. Well, he doesn't know what happened between Asami and Akihito. But for sure a man like Akihito won't stay if Asami keeps _mistresses_. The idea that Akihito somehow manages to keep the crime lord on a tight leash amused him and before he can stop it, he giggles.

Asami looked at him sourly as if knowing that Takumi was laughing at him. Trying to control his amusement, he asked, "When can I leave?"

"When the doctor says that you are good to go. I have set a fund for you. You will have more than enough money to continue your school, support your sister and mother, and live luxuriously. The house they live in now is under your name already. It is yours and you can do anything you want with it. You also don't have to worry about your sister's medication. It will be taken care of," Asami explained.

That is a very generous offer. But his pride gets the better of him so he quickly said, "I don't need all the money. It is enough that you have saved my mother and sister. Some day, I will pay you back for all of your trouble."

Asami merely dismissed his refusal. "It is not a shameful thing to accept help when you need to protect your loved ones. There are things in this world that you need to protect with all you have, Takumi, just like there are also things that don't worth your sacrifices."

He looked at Asami stubbornly for a long while before finally shaking his head in defeat. Indeed, Asami's offer will help him and his family a lot. "You don't have to spend so much money just to ask me to stay away from you. You know I will do it happily. This much of help can already be categorised as charity and you won't get any tax deduction from it," he mocked good-naturedly. His smile softened his sharp words. Even after all the sex that they had, he can never see Asami as his lover, neither can he loves Asami the way Akihito does. But at least, they can part as friends.

Asami laughed at his witty remark. "Well, there is always a first time of everything. Besides, I do expect something out of this, so this is not exactly a selfless good deed. Don't waste my money. Be a famous oil painter and make me proud."

"I will invite you and Akihito to all my exhibitions. Don't worry, I won't tell him your dirty secret. I will bring it to my grave," He cocked his head with a big teasing grin in his face.

Standing up to leave, Asami fixes his crumpled suit. Wet spots darken the fabric where Takumi cried but the crime lord doesn't look like he cares. "Oh, you don't have any idea about how dirty my secrets can be, Takumi. Otherwise, I won't let you go alive," Asami pointed evenly.

Takumi meant his own words as nothing but a teasing, referring to himself as Asami's '_dirty secret'_. But hearing Asami's reply, he wonders how many more dirty secrets Asami has kept from Akihito and how the powerful man can stay sane with so many things he has to hide from his lover to keep Akihito's _'innocence'_.

For years after that, Takumi keeps his promise. He sends invitations for Asami and Akihito every time he has an exhibition, sending it to Sion Group office. And each time, no matter how long he waits, neither Asami nor Akihito shows up. Obviously Asami doesn't want to expose Akihito to his darker side. Even if Takumi's relationship with Asami had ended relatively well, it was still a sort of slavery. Takumi knows that he and Emi were not the only ones in Asami's _collection_. They were just the only ones at that time because Asami had gifted most of his whores to other people or had them killed when he felt that they became too troublesome. It doesn't matter if the man had showered his _slaves_ with gifts and money. It didn't erase the fact that Asami bought them with money and used them as he wished, sometimes against their consent; something that an honest man like Akihito will never approve.

But he does owe a lot to Asami. Hell, he owe the man not only his life, but also his mother's and sister's. He won't be able to pay it back even in several lifetimes. And he doesn't want to disturb Akihito with unnecessary words, even if those words are the truth. He quite likes Akihito. It is rare to find a good guys like Akihito nowadays and he truly wishes the two of them happiness.

So, taking his cue, Takumi just stays quietly away from Akihito's life as Asami wants. At least, he tries to do that until Akihito appears with a pale face and trembling hands in one of his exhibition years later, asking with tears in his eyes whether anything the media said is true. But it is a story for another time. A story about Asami having his back against the wall for the first time in his godlike life.


	17. Chapter 17 Come What May

**Hi,**

**First, I want to let you all know that I am going to use past tense to tell the story from now on (thanks to kind explanation from a gentle reader). I hope it is not confusing. I will try to fix the previous chapters too. But, I am sure I will still have a lot of grammar issue. So, feel free to point it out or even better, explain it briefly to me (through pm if you prefer) and I will try to fix it and not to repeat the same mistake again. I will really appreciate your help. :)**

**Second, I changed my mind. There will no be epilogue because I may still upload new chapters in this story (which will be short stories about Asami and Akihito when Nao and Rikiya are still babies/toddlers). The sequel (Against The Wall) will be about the Asami family when the twins are a bit older. I will upload the first chapter soon. **

**Finally, I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Thanks a lot!**

**Disclaimer : As always, VF belongs to YA. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18. Come What May<strong>

**Part 1. Great Minds Think Alike**

Suoh looked incredibly relieved when he saw Asami entering the penthouse. Asami's most reliable head of security was made to handle all kind of terror as long as it didn't involve emotional tears. And right now, Akihito was an emotional time bomb ready to explode at any time. Asami put his shoes aside and let Kirishima taking off his coat.

Loosening his necktie with one hand, the other was busy rolling his sleeves up, Asami asked, "Where is he?"

"Takaba-sama is sleeping in the bedroom with the boys, Asami-sama."

"Did anything happen while I was away?"

Suoh kept his face straight as he answered, but his uneasiness was profound. "Haruka found Takaba-sama cleaning his hand furiously before lunch time, saying he was going to feed the boys and afraid that he would _stain_ them. She stopped him, quite fiercely I might add. It worked, though, and he calmed down a bit. All day long, just like the last few days, he insisted on keeping the boys close to him even if he made sure he didn't make any skin contact. He didn't even let Haruka to help him feeding them. But other than that, Takaba-sama just did the usual things; cleaning, cooking, laundering."

Asami merely nodded at the report. By now, the report didn't surprise him anymore.

"You can go now, Suoh. I believe you need to supervise the men to clean that filthy storage room."

Suoh bowed and left.

The night after Akihito had been rescued, Asami had watched the pain and guilt flashing in Akihito's eyes as the doctor explained the impact of Nao's injury. Emi, and probably also due to the impact from Akihito catching Nao after Goro'd dropped the baby, had damaged a nerve in Nao's right arm. The doctor had told them not to worry too much. They believed that there was high probability that Nao could use his right arm to do normal everyday activities, even to do sports. However, it might affect any activity that required his hand to be completely steady. They had done everything that they could for now, the doctor had said. The doctor had also suggested continuous physical therapy. For how long, the doctor couldn't be sure.

During their way home, Akihito had sternly turned down Kirishima and Asami's offers to help holding Nao. Even after Akihito'd started to fall asleep in the limo, whenever Asami had tried to quietly take Nao away from Akihito, trying to make Akihito to sleep in a more comfortable position, his lover had immediately startled awake and pulled Nao closer. Akihito's body had instantly stiffened in a survival mode as if preparing himself either to fight or flee with the baby.

The instinctive reaction had angered Asami, partly because it had made him feel as if Akihito couldn't trust him enough to protect their little family, which was a sharp reminder of his failure, but mostly because he could do nothing much now other than supporting Akihito. Furious was an understatement of how Asami truly felt. He wanted to hurt someone, killed someone, needed somewhere to channel all his uncontrollable fury. If it were possible, Asami would have brought those responsible from the land of the death so that he could torture and kill them over and over again. But it wouldn't help Akihito. The only thing he could do now was waiting patiently for Akihito to overcome this nightmare. Unfortunately, patience wasn't Asami's strongest forte whenever Akihito was involved.

The worst part was how Akihito felt like tainting their sons by touching them. What a stupid idea! Shit. If hands that had once been covered with blood could contaminate anyone, Akihito didn't need to be so afraid about tainting the boys. Because in that case, their sons had been tainted to the ninth circle of hell every time Asami hold the babies. In fact, blood might be one of the purest thing that had covered Asami's hands.

The first time Asami had accidentally caught Akihito washing his hands with strong bleach until it had bled, Asami had almost hit Akihito in his anger. And since then, they had caught Akihito doing that whenever his lover thought that no one'd watched. It wasn't Akihito's fault, Asami knew that, but despite years of keeping his feelings under tight control, it was getting harder to suppress the storm of emotion in him.

He snapped himself out of his train of thought. Anger would do no good thing right now. Entering the bedroom, he found Akihito sleeping on the bed. The twins snuggled close to Akihito as if to comfort Asami's young and naive lover. Even with each boy tucked at his side, Akihito looked a bit tense in his sleep, a complete contrast to their sons' peaceful expression.

A soft cough caught his attention. Haruka cleared her throat from the corner of Asami's bedroom, sitting with her tablet on her lap, most probably working while keeping a watch on Akihito.

"He doesn't like me following him around," his assistant whispered softly as she stood to leave the room. "He said he doesn't need…well, something along the line of a babysitter. But after this afternoon incident, I was a bit persistent about watching over him. His hands are so red from irritation already and I can't let him hurt himself even further. I am sorry that I didn't ask for your advice beforehand, Asami-sama. If you feel that I have crossed my-"

He quickly cut the apology with a gentle shake of his head, "There is no need to apologise, Haruka. You did the right thing. Thank you."

After a deep and respectful bow, Haruka walked to leave, but before she reached the door, Asami made up his mind and stopped her. "Haruka, wait a minute. Could you please bring the boys back to their room?"

"I beg your pardon, Sir? If we take the twins from Takaba-sama, he-"

"He will be fine," Asami scowled. He had lost his patience. It was time for Akihito to face the truth, no matter he was ready or not. Asami decided that playing along with Akihito's guilty conscience wouldn't help his lover to realise how wrong it was to keep running away from reality. Sometimes, what Akihito needed to be able to accept the reality was a stick instead of a carrot.

Before Haruka could argue any further, Asami strode towards the bed. Silently, he removed Akihito's arm from around Nao and Rikiya, taking the babies from his lover's embrace. He was almost successful when Akihito somehow felt the movement and suddenly startled awake, at first looking at him as if Asami was a starving mad dog trying to drag their sons away to be eaten for dinner later. But when Akihito realised it was Asami, he relaxed a bit although he was still watching Asami cautiously.

Asami quickly yet gently pulled both babies from Akihito before his lover could do anything to prevent it, exploiting Akihito's confusion after being woken so suddenly. The sudden movement stirred the twins from their slumber. They apparently didn't like being woken from their nap. Asami ignored the instant screams that filled the entire room and quickly passed both babies to the equally dumbstruck Haruka.

"Bring them for a long walk. I will tell you what to do with them later," he gave Haruka a quick instruction.

"NO!" Akihito shouted at the top of his lungs from behind Asami. Lunging himself towards Haruka, Akihito tried to get the babies back but Asami quickly blocked his path. The push Akihito gave him was unexpectedly stronger than he thought it would be, but Asami was much bulkier than Akihito and well trained to fight and kill. It didn't take much to drag his struggling lover back to bed. To his credit, Akihito fought hard and dirty. The younger man kicked, punched, and even bit Asami's hand. Ignoring the sharp pain in his lower arm, Asami hauled his wildcat to the middle of the bed, placing Akihito on all fours and pushing Akihito face down into the pillow.

"Go, Haruka," Asami growled. He could sense her hesitation. But Asami knew she would not interfere with his decision. Kirishima had made damn sure to instil that specific rule into her head. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Haruka quickly walked out from the room before closing the door behind her.

"LET. ME. GO!" Akihito's threat was half muffled by the soft feather pillow.

Asami ignored it. Instead, he grabbed Akihito's wrists, pulling it up and held it firmly. Using his weight as leverage, Asami kept Akihito down while binding Akihito's wrist into the headboard with his own silk tie. He made sure the binding wasn't too tight but it would be sturdy enough not to give way when Akihito struggled. Observing his handiwork, Asami hummed in satisfaction. Akihito could fight all he wanted but nothing he could do to stop Asami.

He felt Akihito's tense muscles under his palms but his lover stayed still for now, playing along while waiting for a chance to turn the table around. Akihito was smart and despite the young man's naiveness, Asami knew that Akihito can be very shrewd and sharp-witted if needed. His lover had the patience of a saint and would wait until the least expected moment to strike back. Perhaps, it was an expected talent for crime-photographers, considering the amount of time they spent hiding in every imaginable places to catch their preys in action.

Keeping Akihito's hip in place with one hand, he moved his other hand down Akihito's spine, from Akihito's neck to the sexy ass. The lithe body under him trembled unwillingly. His finger hooked the waistband of Akihito's jeans, brushing the warm skin between Akihito's ass cheeks below.

A fierce growl froze his forefinger for a while, "Don't. You. Dare. Ryu. I am not in the mood."

His immediate response was chuckling. It was an empty threat. The worst Akihito could do now was mewling in heat. And Asami had no problem with that. In fact, he was going to do anything he could to encourage Akihito.

He opened Akihito's jeans button slowly, enjoying Akihito's frustrated hiss as Akihito tugged against the binding furiously. After an equally slow unzipping, Asami slid the jeans down Akihito's legs. Akihito started to wrestle to break free, kicking his feet to hit Asami. But in this position, Akihito would never be able to get the right angle to deliver a serious blow. Asami merely stepped back and waited calmly until Akihito was run out of breath.

"Let me go NOW, Asami!"

The switch from his own name to his surname showed how angry Akihito was. But Asami kept his cool. When Akihito was finally tired and his loud curses morphed into sobs, Asami continued his assault. With a composure as if he was merely signing a business documents instead of intending to rape his own lover, Asami pulled the jeans together with the underwear beneath, revealing Akihito's round ass. The marks from Goro's beating had disappeared a few days a go, leaving creamy skin that begged to be licked all over. He was reaching out his hand to get a taste when he heard Akihito's plea.

"Don't do this," the request was merely a whisper. "Please, Asami."

He rubbed Akihito's ass cheeks slowly, alternating between soft caresses and rough pressures. Bending down, Akihito's back felt warm against his chest, he ground his erection against Akihito's thigh. "Don't do what exactly, Akihito? I do a lot of things, I don't know which one you refer to," he teased with a sly smile in his face.

The answer was muffled by tears and pillow, "Don't take them away from me. Please, do whatever you want, but don't take them away. I need to be able to see them, to keep them safe."

He merely laughed, "Do whatever I want while they are near you? Now, now, you want to give our sons a show of our passion? That's a bit vulgar even for me."

"Then just stop all of this!"

Biting Akihito's earlobe playfully, Asami reached out and cupped Akihito's own semi-erection. Apparently, worry prevented the young man from fully enjoying their usual play. But it didn't matter. Soon, Akihito was going to writhe in pleasure. "But your body doesn't want to stop," Asami said casually.

Akihito's sob turned into an uncontrollable cry as Akihito wrestled to move Asami from his back. "Please, Asami, I need to see them…"

Finally losing his patience with Akihito's unreasonable request, he snapped, "And then what?! You will keep them on a tight leash, literally, for the rest of their life!? Following them around wherever they go!? Keeping them with you no matter what you do, even if it means that they are going to watch me fucking you!?" He pushed his pelvis brutally against Akihito's ass. "Is that what you are going to do, Akihito!? Because if it is, you are even more twisted than me!"

"Don't be stupid! I am not going to do that! I just want to keep them entirely safe!"

Asami's reply was dripping sarcasm. "Sure, you do. Care to explain to me how you are going to keep them _entirely_ safe for the rest of their life?"

For once, Akihito didn't reply.

Releasing his bruising grip on Akihito, Asami sighed. "There is nothing we can do to fully guarantee their continuous safety or happiness, Akihito. Maybe now that they are still babies, you can keep them with you wherever you go, but they will grow up and then you won't be able to do that anymore. I promise we are going to do everything that we can to keep them safe, but sooner or later, they are going to make their own choices, good and bad, and the only thing we can do is to support them and be there when they need us."

Akihito shook in silent cry but his lover didn't fight him anymore. Asami rubbed Akihito's back to soothe him and when Akihito's body lost its tensity, he put butterfly kisses along Akihito's spine.

"…it was my fault…"

Placing his chin on top of Akihito's hip, Asami answered, "We all did mistake, Akihito. However, we are not responsible for someone else's madness. The world is a cruel one and we can't keep blaming ourselves for everything in it. "

"…but…I…I…killed someone…it must be a sort of punishment…."

"You did what you had to do. You survived. There is nothing wrong with that. Someone else hurt Nao. You? You saved him. I am very sorry you had to do what you did to save Nao but I am still so proud of you."

Akihito buried his face in the pillow, crying. The sound of his lover weeping saddened him greatly. How he wished that Akihito hadn't had to kill. It was a regret that he needed to deal with for the rest of his life. Secretly, he promised himself to do everything he could to protect Akihito from the darker side of his world. Let Akihito's life always be bright and happy and simple.

"Proud of me? Do you even know who I am, Ryu? What if I am not the person that you thought I were?"

Who he is, Akihito asked? What kind of a question was that? Without any hesitation or even a blink, Asami simply said, "You are _my_ Akihito." It was that simple for Asami: Akihito was his first and everything else second. His lover could be a journalist, a killer, a beggar, a prime minister, a priest, or a sinner; Asami didn't give a fuck. Because on top of all that, Akihito was his. That, he wouldn't mistake.

The quick and simple answer stunned Akihito. Asami raised his eyebrow at Akihito's reaction. There was something his lover didn't tell him. Obviously, whatever it was, it had scared Akihito, eating him up inside. Well, it didn't matter, Asami would find out one way or another.

Leaning forward to kiss the skin where Akihito's neck met the shoulders, he continued with the infamous smirk in his face, "It has been a long time. Perhaps it is time to remind you of the fact that you are mine."

Despite the weird angle, he tilted Akihito's face and pressed his lips on Akihito's, his tongue reaching out, forcing a permission to enter Akihito's warm mouth. Akihito tasted like lemon with a hint of sweetness in it. It was addicting and he pushed further inside to get more of that unique flavour. His tongue pried, explored and conquered every inches of Akihito.

Pulling Akihito's shirt up around the wrists, Asami made his way down, licking and leaving a wet trail along Akihito's back. His hands groped Akihito's chest, teasing the pointed nubs in a not so gentle way. He knew Akihito loved it that way and as expected, his lover whimpered with every pull on the nipples.

He kissed the inside of Akihito's thigh. In response, Akihito spread his legs wider, obediently giving Asami more space to play around. Asami almost laughed then but he covered his amusement quickly. His lover would never admit it and, perhaps, with how Akihito openly defied him in every turn, it also wasn't so obvious to everyone else, but Asami knew that little by little he had managed to house-train his wildcat. Well, let Akihito believe whatever he wanted to believe. This was a secret Asami would keep to himself.

Rubbing his own hard rock erection against Akihito's ass, Asami reached down and took Akihito's cock in his hand, squeezing almost painfully before running his hand up and down. The cock in his hand was as hard as steel and the tip was moist with precum. Akihito started to move his hips together with Asami, moaning continuously while trying to get more friction from Asami's hand.

When Akihito's movement was getting frantic and the creamy skin was turning into a beautiful shade of pink, Asami stilled his movement. He clutched the base of Akihito's cock tightly until Akihito gasped in pain. Akihito moved his hips, desperately trying to catch an orgasm that was only a second away. But with a hand pushing Akihito's lower back down, Asami stopped his writhing lover from moving despite all the protest and complain. Chuckling, he gave a few seconds for Akihito to calm down.

"I am so close," Akihito whined, tugging forcefully against the binding around his wrists.

"I know," he whispered with a soothing kiss behind Akihito's ear. Well, at least he meant it to sooth. But from how Akihito's cock jumped in his still hand, the kiss seemed to arouse Akihito even more. "But you will only come when I order you to."

"What?!" Akihito instantly shouted his protest. "Like hell you can order me around!"

"Oh, really?" he asked casually as he pressed his finger around Akihito's ass hole, ignoring the way Akihito's naughty hole flinching to attract his attention. "You belongs to me, my Akihito. Mine and mine alone. And unless you can somehow drill that idea into your stubborn head, you can kiss your orgasm goodbye tonight."

And with that, Asami plunged his forefinger into Akihito, sliding in and out. When his finger brushed the sweet spot deep inside Akihito's body, Akihito shouted as if he was in great pain. Purposely, Asami curled his finger, hitting that spot repeatedly just to torture his lover. Howling, Akihito arched his back, pulled the binding in a vain effort to touch his own cock, and trashed his head back and forth. But no matter what Akihito did, he wouldn't be able to come, not unless Asami allowed it. When Asami saw that creamy skin blushing prettily, he pulled his finger out, caressing Akihito's inner thigh with gentle, soothing stroke. Well, soothing was relative here. Asami knew his touches stopped Akihito from coming but still kept Akihito on the edge.

"God," Akihito panted, trying desperately to catch his breath. "Oh, dear God." Asami swore he could feel the younger man's rapid heart beat under his palm on Akihito's inner thigh.

"Who are you belong to, Akihito?" Asami asked lazily. His finger made circle patterns on Akihito's skin, so close to the cock but not touching yet. It was just enough to tease.

Shaking his head stubbornly, Akihito gritted his teeth and refused to answer. Well, it was okay. They could do this the entire day and night if they have to. Besides, it would be boring if they had to stop the game too soon.

"Well, if you insist…" Asami let his sentence hanging before plunging in very slowly with two of his fingers, inch by inch as if they have eternity to do this.

Akihito moaned, wailed, whimpered, sobbed, and even begged in despair. And all along, Asami ignored him. With a dedication that would amaze even a saint, he slowly pleasured his lover, yet he stopped whenever Akihito was close to orgasm. Now and then, Asami would ask the same question, and every time Akihito shook his head in denial, he happily continued his pursuit. He swallowed Akihito's cock into his mouth, massaging the entire length with his tongue and throat, then gave Akihito a few seconds of frustrated breath, before started to rim Akihito's ass. He teased Akihito's nipples mercilessly until Akihito cried before devouring those sexy lips with a hunger that couldn't be satisfied with food alone. Asami gave Akihito no pity and Akihito could do nothing but accepted the pleasure Asami gave him, enough to drive him crazy but always, always not enough to send him over the sharp edge of orgasm.

Near two hours later, there were deep crimson marks around Akihito's wrist. Akihito's cock swelled until it turned purple. It looked painful but damn, Asami's own cock wasn't less painful from holding back his own orgasm. It was getting harder not to shot his cum all over Akihito, though. Asami didn't want to come without his lover, but if Akihito wanted to be stubborn, so be it.

He pushed his cock into the tight hole, not stopping until he was all the way in. Despite all Asami's evil ministration, Akihito still felt tight around his cock. The younger man groaned but was too tired and aroused to feel any pain. Instead, his lover quickly pushed back against him, trying to make Asami to move faster. Asami threw his head back, enjoying the feeling of being squeezed by Akihito's warm channel. Each time Asami brushed against Akihito's prostate, Akihito's cock jumped, the hole squeezing even tighter until it almost hurt, and Asami felt waves of pleasure course through his body.

He didn't have enough patience left to start slow. Asami pounded into Akihito with short and brutal thrusts, coaxing louder scream from Akihito. He sped up and watched in fascination as Akihito moved along with him, his groin slapping Akihito's ass violently. Akihito was lost in pleasure, arching his back with every thrust in complete lust. Soon, Asami noticed the way Akihito's skin blossom into a shade of pink, a definite sign that Akihito was close to orgasm. But when Asami was reaching down to stop Akihito from coming, he heard a tiny voice saying what he wanted to hear.

"What did you say, Akihito?" he asked just to make sure.

"…yours," Akihito practically sobbed. "I am yours. Please, Ryu, I need to come."

Kissing Akihito's nape, he couldn't stop himself from making a victorious smile. "Good boy. Such a good boy. You are mine, no matter what. You better remember that."

Giving Akihito's cock a few hard strokes, he ordered, "Now, come for me, Akihito."

Akihito shot his cum all over the bed, screaming his pleasure as Asami pumped into his ass. Lost in pleasure, the younger man instinctively tightened himself around Asami's cock and it threw Asami into orgasm. Spilling his seeds into Akihito, shot after shot, he arched his back, lips apart, whispering Akihito's name softly. In all his life, Asami had had a lot of good sex and some mind-blowing orgasms, but this one was one of the strongest he had ever experienced. Never before he felt like losing himself in sex, his mind blackened out for a few seconds and all his senses exploded from sensation. It was as if he was going to die from extreme pleasure. And for once, he didn't mind dying.

For long minutes, they just laid still, both was unable to lift even a finger, before Asami finally found the strength to move to the side. He released Akihito from the binding and pulled his younger lover into his embrace, ignoring the messy bed sheet and the fact that his seeds started to leak from Akihito's hole. Akihito always looked the sexiest after their sex. Lips parted, panting softly as the photographer tried to calm himself. Those hazelnut eyes was rather droopy, exhausted after rounds and rounds of edging. Akihito's skin was still slightly pink, warm and sweaty, his light brown locks plastered to his temple. The crime lord absentmindedly brushed the blond hair, savouring the smell of their passionate sex in the air.

"You know what the most shocking part was?" The voice that asked him sounded small even to Asami's ear. Without waiting for Asami's response, Akihito answered his own question, "I just murdered a person, but when I looked at the blood on my hand and then at Nao who was crying in my arm, I knew I would have no problem to kill again if anyone else tried to hurt him. It scared me to realise that I have no regret at all. What kind of person am I to kill someone and feel that it is the right thing to do? How can I raise a child with that kind of twisted mind? What if I hurt them instead?"

What a relaxing pillow talk. All Asami wanted was enjoying their afterglow, a few sticks of cigarettes and then maybe a short nap, but instead he answered dutifully. Oh yes, he fell so hard for this wilful cat that he was willing to pamper Akihito this far. "It just means that you love Nao. That is all. I am sure every normal parents will do the same to save their child. I will definitely do the same if I am in your position." He feigned a sigh as if it was a heavy burden for him to kill someone who tried to hurt his sons. Hell, just killing would be too easy. He would start by torturing them, removing their limbs piece by piece, before moving to their internal organs. He swore to whatever gods out there, there wouldn't be death for those bastards until they begged him in desperation to kill them.

As if his lover could hear Asami's thought perfectly, Akihito snapped, "You don't count as normal!"

Asami just laughed. _Oh, not normal indeed, Akihito, _he answered silently.

* * *

><p>Tao sighed when he saw another of Asami's men vomiting outside the storage door. Why did Asami hire those weaklings? But, oh well, even Suoh had turned a bit pale when the bulky man'd saw what was inside. So, Tao couldn't really blame the rest of Asami's men.<p>

"Are you okay?" Suoh asked when he saw Tao leaning against the wall.

Apparently Suoh thought that he was as affected with the scene as the other men, which was not the case at all. Tao shouldn't be here yet, not healed enough to walk around, moreover to assist an intense torture session for a few hours straight. The doctor had refused to let him out of the hospital. But knowing someone had tried to hurt Akihito had angered him and he just couldn't stay still. To Tao's surprise, Asami had let him come when Tao had asked.

Tao smiled wearily, sweats already formed on his forehead. "I am good. It was just a bit tiring, that is all. Do you mind if I sit somewhere?" He was lucky his father had gone back to Hong Kong a few days ago. Otherwise, the older Feilong would keep nagging him to stay in the hospital.

The giant observed him as if Tao was mad. "Let me help you," Suoh finally said.

They moved to the car and Suoh helped him inside. Tao ignored the sharp pain in his chest as he tried to settle into a comfortable position.

"Is it true that you stayed inside the entire time?" Suoh asked him evenly from where he stood outside the car door, eyes full with curiosity and newfound respect.

Tao nodded weakly. Shit, even nodding was painful. He gripped his chest to control his breaths.

"Not many men can watch such thing without pissing in their pants," Suoh commented. "Moreover assisting to do any of that."

"I am not those '_many men__'_," Tao replied simply.

Suoh looked at him intensely for a long minute. "I can't believe you are only 15. Shit. There isn't much left there to be identified as human. It looks more like…a mess of beef stew or…something. Something but a living being. Well, at least we don't have to hide the body, can just feed the remains to the dogs. But the blood, geez, it is everywhere. It will take days to completely clean the entire room. What did the two of you do? Painting the room with her blood or what?"

Tao gave a wicked smile that lightened his dark opal eyes and brightened his handsome face. "She hurt _my_ best friend. Just killing her would be way too easy. Fortunately, it looks like Asami and I have a similar mindset about that."

Stunned, the giant shook his head in disbelief. "You do remind me of Asami-sama when he was younger. Well, welcome to the family, boy. You just proved your worth in our organisation."

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2. You Gain Some, You Lose Some<strong>

"Akiiii," Kou practically squealed in pure joy when he saw me. "Do you bring what I asked you to bring?"

Dumping all the things that I bring with me to his lap, I scowled at my best friend, "Stop screaming, jerk! You are at a hospital!"

Kou started rummaging around the piles of magazines. Porn magazines, I might need to add. I sighed. As long as he got better, I would bring him porn everyday if he wanted to. Anything to get my best friend back to health.

I felt guilty for what Kou had gone through. My best friend got a few stitches at different part of his body, a lot of bruises and some broken bones. He had done nothing to deserve it, nothing but being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But when I had told him how sorry I was, he had merely dismiss my apology, insisting that there was nothing to forgive. If I kept insisting he would kick me in the ass, so I pretended that nothing was wrong, which was a total lie to me.

Takato shook his head in disbelief at Kou's attitude. "Geez, did you buy the entire adult shop, Akihito? I believe that could last for months."

"You are only jealous because you are married and you can't openly read this kind of thing anymore," Kou snickered at his friend.

With a huge grin in his face, Takato merely replied, "Well, why do I need to read those crap when I can enjoy the real thing?"

I shrugged at my best friends' stupid bantering, knowing that it would soon escalated to a friendly yet somewhat violent brawl. Before I could stop their bitching, though, Kou had already threw a magazine at Takato. It was written in our unsaid agreement that being friends since we were five meant that every hit we threw at each other would always be considered as a joke and not to be taken seriously. So, I was a bit confused when Takato fell silent while taking the magazine that hit his head from the floor.

Until I realised that it was a gay porn magazine.

I was not sure whether Kou had told Takato about his newfound interest towards men or his feeling for Arata. But it was better not to take any chance.

"Ummm," I started, trying to save the situation from being even more awkward. "My mistake, I just grabbed whatever-"

Takato merely sighed. "Well, I guessed it already, you know. I am just waiting for you to tell me," he hit the back of Kou's head with the magazine. "And now that I know you told Aki already, I feel hurt and left behind." He feigned a dramatic hurt pose, both hands grasping his chest.

"Hey, I just told Aki like…I don't know, weeks ago?" Kou rubbed the back of his head while glancing at me, silently asking for confirmation. I simply nodded. "Besides, how come you know already? And fyi, I still like women."

Takato snorted. "The term is bi, idiot. And everyone who saw how you ogled Arata would-"

Realising that I was there, Takato stopped short and looked at me guiltily. "Umm…"

Geez, was I the only one who didn't notice my best friend's feeling for my ex? Like seriously, I couldn't be that dense, could I?

"It is okay, Takato," I sighed. Now, everything was really so awkward. "We broke up, remember? I told you months ago. Arata and I was over long time ago."

"Well, that was not what I heard last from Kou," Takato said while throwing a meaningful look at Kou, who by now was staring intensely at his bandaged hands as if it was the most fascinating thing in the whole universe.

I didn't even blink before I answered without an ounce of hesitation. "Well, I reconfirmed it with Kou a few weeks ago, when I just got back in Tokyo. Arata and I was over. Kou can ogle him all he wants. There, no more misunderstanding," I firmly stated with a grin in my face.

Strangely, Kou didn't say anything. He didn't even look at us.

"Hey, man. Are you okay? Any pain?" I asked with another wave of guilt and worry.

Kou just played with his fingers, a familiar habit that showed his definite nervousness.

"Have you talked to him, Aki?" Kou finally asked with a miserable expression in his face right before I started to think about calling the nurse. Kou being this silent must mean trouble of some sort and my first thought was his many injuries.

"To whom? The nurse?" I asked absentmindedly in alarm. Should I talk to the nurse about anything?

Kou rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "To Arata, idiot."

_The storage room had been dark and smelled like rotten meat. But all my focus had went to Arata__'__s screaming.__'__You..who are you? You are not Akihito!__' __Arata__'__s voice had been raw in fear. He'd been scared of me and he had wanted to get away from me._

Shaking my head to remove that scene from my mind, I tried to delay the inevitable, "Umm, nope. I am planning to go to his room after I visit you. It is very convenient that you all are in the same hospital. Saving time, you see."

It was somewhat a lie. I would prefer to stay away from Arata after what had happened. I had postponed to visit him or Mariko for as long as I could. Besides, in that filthy storage, he had made it clear that he also preferred it that way.

_I had tried to move closer, but Arata__'__s howl had stopped me. __'__You killed that guy! You killed him! Get away from me!__'_

"Perhaps, you better talk to him. I mean, soon. He feels bad about the whole thing, said something about saying the wrong thing to you."

'_Murderer! MURDERER!__'_

I closed my eyes and swallowed, trying to stop Arata's accusation from playing like a broken record inside my head. "All is forgiven and forgotten," I said but my voice was thick with insincerity. I didn't blame Arata. Just like Kou, he was another victim. If there was anyone who needed to ask for forgiveness it would be me. I was the one who dragged them all to this mess. But still, Arata's words was a reminder of what I had done. There would be no way I could forget that I had killed someone.

Thankfully, Kou didn't notice that I lied. "Not for him," Kou replied, "Come on, Aki, give him a second chance. You both need to talk asap. He feels bad that-"

I cut his tirade in frustration. "He doesn't need to feel bad. And you need to stop trying to get Arata and I back together. It is not going to happen. I have a lover, remember?"

"Whoa wait, wait, you have a new lover?" Takato asked in irritation. "Hey, this is not nice, guys. I thought we are brother in arms and all. How come I am the only one who doesn't know anything?"

"Because you were busy going in a family vacation abroad and were not reachable?" I snapped back at him. Suddenly, I felt tired with the emotional roller coaster.

Takato quickly raised his hands in a surrender gesture. "Whoa, calm down, Aki-kun. I am just asking. That is all."

I rubbed my eyes wearily. "Sorry, Takato, I am just…I am not going through this argument anymore, Kou. Stop trying to get Arata and I back together."

"Is that because he helped that bitch to get you? The bitch who looks like you? Is that why you don't want to be together with him anymore?" Kou asked quietly.

"Geez, no! I told you this even before all that happened. Don't be stupid! Why are you trying to deny your feelings for him anyway?"

Avoiding my gaze, Kou mumbled, "I…I am just…it is all very frightening. I always love girls before him. Then suddenly he came and I…you know. But, there were you, his boyfriend, and I didn't have problem to be just a close friend. Then suddenly all changed and…there is my family expectation as well. God, my mother will have a heart attack if she knows, for sure. A heart attack and a lot of migraine. It is all just too much. And he does feel bad about you." He stopped his rambling to take a deep calming breath before continued, "He still loves you."

"No, he doesn't. He thought that he loved me and I thought so too, but our love had burnt out long time ago. I know it. After all of this, I am sure he knows it, too. It is you who keep denying it." I looked at Kou in the eyes. "I know it is frightening, okay? I have gone through that. But if you don't try, nothing will happen. Just take baby steps. You don't have to declare your love from the rooftop of this hospital and propose him today. In fact, you don't have to do anything you are not ready for. Your fated one might be him or it might be another guy or girl. Whoever it is and no matter what that old hag you called mother said, I will always support you. Just, please, stop denying your own feeling."

I smiled at Kou, hoping that it would soften my words and calm him down. "We'll be here whenever you need someone to talk to," I added, pulling him into my embrace. It was weird that Kou was so silent like this, listening as if there was something that he couldn't tell me. I hope he would get better and be his usual self soon.

Takato cleared his throat. "Okay, now that all the bromance has been said and done, can someone tell me who Aki's new boyfriend is?"

Kou snorted before bursted out laughing. "Our ungrateful friend here just have to take the most eligible bachelor in town. Hell, maybe in the entire country. His new boyfriend is the infamous Asami Ryuichi. In fact, this hospital belongs to his godlike boyfriend who is so generous that I can enjoy this luxurious private hospital room for free while being taken care by cute and pretty nurses."

Takato froze. His easy smile disappeared from his face.

Kou misunderstood Takato silence. "Oh my god, don't tell me you don't know Asami Ryuichi? I can't believe there is a Japanese who doesn't know who-"

"Of course I know who he is! Most japanese had never seen him but we had all heard about him!" Takato snapped before he turned towards me. The hostility in his face shocked me. "What do you think you are doing, Aki? Do you know who Asami Ryuichi is?"

"Umm, I am sorry?" That was the only response I could think of.

"He claims to be a businessman, but he isn't much different from a yakuza! Sion group is practically an organised crime. My company handles their IT. Damn, I handle their system myself. I saw-"

He stopped himself, probably realising that he had talked too much. I was sure there must be some sort of non-disclosure agreement for that kind of service. And Asami wouldn't be so stupid to leave any trace of his illegal activity. But I knew that Takato was a very good system engineer. And quite a good hacker too, I might need to add, remembering the time when Takato had hacked to our school's system just because I had been so worried about my score. Now that Takato had slipped, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to know more or not.

_Do I still want to bring Asami down? After all this time and all those promises? With Nao and Rikiya being involved?_

"He is dangerous, Aki."

_No, I don__'__t want to, _I finally concluded, wanting to laugh. _Such an irony! I had tried to prove Asami__'__s evil doings through my viewfinder for years, persistent about bringing him down with my own hands since the first time we met. Now that I might find a proof, I don__'__t want to do that anymore. Right now, I just want to keep my new little family happy and safe._

Keeping my face straight, I told my best friend, "I know. And I still love him. So, please just be happy for me because I am not changing my mind over this."

"I will hate to tell you, 'I told you so'," he said in defeat, knowing that I could be very stubborn once I set up my mind.

"I hope you won't have to." I replied Takato honestly.

"Takato-" Kou started to talk after looking at us back and forth. He looked to be ready to defend me but I waved him off. It would just do more damage to our friendship if Kou openly took my side.

Takato shook his head as if to clear his mind. "Sorry, I better go back now. I need to think this through."

I stopped the man whom I always viewed as my older brother before he reached the door. "Listen, Takato. You are my best friend. I don't want to lose you just because I have a…new boyfriend. It is not important anyway, you don't have to meet him if you don't want too. Can't we just…"

He smiled weakly. "Aki, if it is just me, I won't act like this. But I have to think about my wife and daughter's safety, too. There is nothing good about that man, Aki. I can't tell you in details but I know it for a fact. He is dangerous."

He looked up at Kou who was struggling to walk towards us, trying to stop us from ruining our years of friendship to the point of no return. "Now that I know this, I wonder whether Kou's injury is somehow related to Asami. Kou refused to tell me the detail but it is related to Asami, isn't it? Kou wants to hide that fact from me because he doesn't want us to fight," Takato accused me quietly. Our eyes met briefly, then Takato gently pulled his hand away from me. I didn't even realise that I had hold onto him.

I couldn't even deny it, so I let him go.

A moment later, I felt a hand on my shoulder, Kou's. Looking at him over my shoulder, my eyes wet with tears, I gave him an unconvincing smile. "Give him some time. He is just not used to the idea. You know that Takato is always very serious, especially about his family," Kou tried to cheer me up.

But my heart told me that all the time in the world wouldn't be enough for Takato. In fact, for the first time in my life, I was afraid that I might have lost one of my very best friends.

* * *

><p>"Hey, are you okay?" Arata asked softly.<p>

I didn't expect anyone, moreover Arata, to find me in the rooftop of Asami's hospital. There was a sign on the door telling that this area was forbidden for unauthorised personnel. I had to break the lock to be able to get inside but I really needed a place to calm myself and a hospital's toilet was always full of people, puking, crying, and all. Besides, the hospital practically belonged to my lover, or fiancee if his proposal was still valid. Surely it gave me a bit more access than other visitors. If Asami had any problem with that, I would tell him he could kiss my arse.

"Go away," I answered.

Arata ignored me. Instead, he sat on the floor beside me. His presence both calmed me as well as stirred another round of guilt inside me. But he didn't say anything, just waiting patiently as he always used to do.

"I am sorry," I said finally.

"It is not your fault," he replied.

"If it weren't because of me, you and Mariko-san wouldn't be-"

"Emi and Goro were crazy. Shit, the whole things were crazy. But you are not the one to blame. Now that I can think clearly, I felt bad for accusing you."

I smiled wearily. "Well, don't worry about that. I don't blame you. Those crazy things affected me too in one way or another. Always."

He frowned with worry in his eyes and I leaned my head on his shoulder instinctively, trying to offer him silent comfort as I had always done before. "Always? Had something like that happened to you before, Akihito?"

Raising my eyebrows in sarcasm, I snickered, "Something like what? Being kidnapped for loving the wrong person? A few times. Having my best friend left me because of that? No, this is the first time."

My voice broke somewhere along my short speech. Arata put his hand around my shoulders, and tears streamed down my cheeks before I could stop it. Quietly, he pulled me into his embrace, offering his shoulder to cry on. Arata's chest wasn't as broad nor as muscular as Asami's but he was always gentle.

"I am sorry," I told him over and over again as I cried. And he kept telling me that it was okay, that everything was going to be okay, that he was also at fault and he was sorry too. I didn't even know what we are saying sorry for. Did I say sorry because I dragged him to this mess or because Asami used him to get me? Did he say sorry because he helped Emi or because our relationship just didn't work? It didn't matter anymore.

When my sobs turned into hiccups, he finally laughed. It reminded me of our first time meeting each other in that coffee shop in the middle of the night. His eyes twinkled and there was a dimple on his left cheek. I smiled shyly while hiccuping.

"Keep in touch?" He tilted his head questioningly.

"Really? After all this you are still willing to talk to me?"

He ruffled my hair affectionately. "I will always care for you, Akihito. And so will my family."

I shrugged in relief before I nodded slowly. "Thanks, Arata. See you later, then?"

He stood up, brushing the dirt from his hospital clothes while doing so. After giving me one of his sweetest smile, a smile that somehow made him look sad, he answered, "See you later, Akihito. Take care, okay?"

Then he left me alone. I sighed. At least, something good happened today. I am glad Arata and I could settle our problem in a good way. It somehow lifted my spirit, making me think that my friendship with Takato could also be fine. Maybe, I just needed to give Takato more space. Maybe, as Kou suggested, Takato needed some time to understand my decision.

_Enough wasting your energy to mope, Akihito!_ I scolded myself. _It is time to bounce back and face the world again!_

* * *

><p>Kirishima stopped the damned dog on his way down. "Good job," he told Arata. "Your acting was good, I am impressed."<p>

"It was not an acting and I didn't do it for you," Arata snapped, throwing the mic Kirishima put inside his pocket an hour ago.

Oh, it seemed the dog had grown a spine, though it was useless. Kirishima's face remained stoic as he took the now broken mic from the floor. "Of course, you didn't," he answered succinctly, his tone clearly showed that he didn't believe Arata even a bit. "Anyway, your family is ready inside the plane. The driver will bring you to the private airport. As agreed, your family debt has been paid and Asami-sama's business partner will take care of you and your family once you arrive in Hong Kong. He will provide you and your family with house, car, jobs, anything that you might need."

Arata looked down at his own feet, most probably questioning all his decision. Kirishima shrugged silently. "You do the right thing," Kirishima tried to reassured him.

"He said Emi wasn't the first one who kidnapped him," Arata argued.

Kirishima would roll his eyes if he could. But he always thought that it was a lame move, so instead he looked straight at Arata as he answered, "It was none of your business, Takagi-san. You promised us that you will end things amicably with Takaba-sama if we give you and your family a second chance to start over. You have done your part, and we will do our part. That is all you need to do. Don't bother yourself with something that isn't profitable for you."

"Is this all about profit, Kirishima-san? Akihito is not an object for Asami to bargain, barter, or buy. If Asami can't protect and take care of Akihito as he should…."

Geez, why does the dog have to make everything so difficult? "…and what? What are you going to do if Asami-sama couldn't protect Takaba-sama? What can _you_ do, Takagi-san?" Kirishima mocked.

Arata didn't answer for a long while. The dog merely stared at Kirishima defiantly, tilting his head slightly as if thinking seriously about what he could do in that situation. Then Arata made a slow smile.

"Me? I can't do much. But I don't have to. If Asami dared to do anything stupid, Akihito would kicked him in the ass. People often underestimate Akihito, but he is actually pretty strong. Tell Asami that he better be careful. With how much he wants Akihito not knowing that I am going to accept his offer today, I assume this is is not the first time your boss playing a dirty game behind Akihito's back? He might want to protect Akihito but he couldn't keep doing that, you know. Akihito is not stupid, neither he was as naive as people think. Sooner or later, Akihito will find the truth and everything will turn into chaos."

Kirishima scowled in irritation. He didn't like someone who he viewed as nothing more than a dog to talk in such a way about Asami-sama. But before he could shout a reply, Arata had walked away.

"Where are you going?!" Kirishima frowned. "You need to go to the airport soon!"

"I want to talk to Kou before I left. I promised to pass him my temporary contact until I can give him a more permanent one," Arata shouted back without looking back at Kirishima.

Annoyed, Kirishima merely stared at Arata's back. The dog knew too much, had too many reasons for revenge, and practically too dangerous to keep, in his opinion. But eliminating him now would do no good for Takaba-sama. And Arata had promised Takaba-sama to keep in touch. Was that an honest request? Or was that Arata's ace card to make sure Asami-sama wouldn't kill him before long? Well, at least, this way they could watch all Arata's movement. Feilong had arranged everything to make sure of that. Knowing he had done everything he could for now, Kirishima walked up the stairs to find his boss' young lover.

_Come what may,_ he thought. _Whatever and whoever it is that tries to hurt Asami-sama and those he loves, I will be ready for them._


End file.
